Fernhurst Junior School | Ofsted Ratings, Reviews, Exam Results & Admission 2026

By 1895, the Board had chosen to build three more schools, the last of which was the Francis Avenue School. That same year, renowned local architect A.E. Cogswell drafted the plans for the Francis Avenue School, which was later thought to be his most daring attempt at constructing a school.
On a two-acre plot, his plans called for housing for 596 boys, 580 girls, and 740 infants, at a cost of $16,000, which also included boundary walls, a playground, furnishings, and a caretaker's home.
So, on Monday, October 25, 1897, at 9:00 a.m., the school officially opened with 260 boys, Mr. J. Lewis as Headmaster, and seven other male staff members.
The Clerk to the School Board paid a visit to the school in the afternoon.
Since 1870, the School Board has opened 24 schools, making this one the 24th.
The head master is Mr. J.T. Lewis, and the second master is Mr. J.C. Pearce.
A few years later, in 1912, he noted in a letter to the Education Committee that "the building has been kept quite plain, we having been requested to create as cheap a school as possible."
Mr. Lewis found it extremely satisfying that there were 271 more children enrolled at the school by the end of October 1897. Although absenteeism was generally quite low, there were certain instances when it may not have been as good as it should have been.
One excuse for skipping class was bad weather, which was also a factor in attendance at outside events.
A little earlier, on November 1st, 1897, the school was closed for a single day of vacation when it was used for the first time—but undoubtedly not the last—as a polling place for the local election.
At 4:00 p.m. on December 22, 1897, the first semester came to an end.