One of the school's young teachers, Mrs B. Hodkinson, takes her class, 4H, through an English lesson.

Stoneyholme Junior School is a very ordinary school. In this, its Centenary Year, it can record no tremendous highlights or outstanding academic successes, but it is a proud school, full of happy children. The sad aspect about the school is that it is in the town's "poor" area, the area where only one house has been built this century and where people are content to drift away. The only hope is that the corporation's proposed face-lift for Stoneyholme will bring the people back and save the school from a tragic end.

One defender of the area many people choose to forget about is headmaster Mr John A. W. Green. He believes there is a future for the area and a future for his large eight-classroomed school. Next month the school celebrates its centenary, quietly, in keeping with its character. There will be an open day on the fourth. The following morning there will be a short church service, and the afternoon and next day will be a holiday for pupils. Although celebrations are in October, the school was "born" in July 1872. It began as the old Ebenezer School and was replaced by the present building in 1896. There were five more heads before Mr Green took over in 1951. He wants his centenary celebrations to be "quite and ordinary." The church service will be at Burnley Lane Baptist Church (Ebenezer), which was linked to the old school. The school's old log book shows clearly the entry made by the first headmaster, Mr Henry Whittles, on the first day. "July 22nd 1872. Opened school, about 120 scholars. Great want of punctuality and discipline."

Mr Green is due to retire in 18 months, but he keeps a modern and open mind on the school's problems. Of being in the area with the town's largest immigrant population he says: "We have no trouble, the immigrants mix very well and there is no disharmony." The school has a reputation for friendliness and the children are happy in their work. Its teaching methods are modern and it was the first school in Burnley to stop "streaming" classes, introduced by Mr Green in 1961 because he believes labelling a child as an A or B pupil leads to feelings of inferiority. Mr Green is hopeful for the future of the school, which he says is a good school and one of which he is proud.