Hawkeys Lane, Municipal High School

This school was listed Grade II in 2008 with the following description:
'Secondary School, 1909 designed by J C Maxwell for the Tynemouth Education Committee and built by J L Miller.
MATERIALS: Red brick in English Garden Wall Bond with extensive use of yellow terracotta for the dressings, cladding and ornamentation. Roofs are of welsh slate and metal rain water heads embossed with the school shield are present throughout.
PLAN: Symmetrical design comprising large central rectangular block housing hall with classrooms off, large assembly theatre and administrative functions; attached wings to the north and south each form three sides of an open courtyard, with a caretaker's house incorporated into the corner of the north courtyard.
EXTERIOR: Main (East) Elevation: three storeys and five bays with a prominent eaves cornice; the two end bays have full height strip pilasters alternating with flat-arched window openings with raised keystones. Windows are mostly horned sashes with divided top hung casements and those to the 2nd floor are horned sashes set in terracotta cladding with art nouveau detailing. Each pilaster is carried through the eaves cornice by an art nouveau style pillar with curved capping. The ground floor of the central entrance bay projects slightly and has an ornate segmental arched entrance with a pediment above, flanked by art nouveau style Ionic columns with curved capping. The entrance retains its original double doors. To either side the walls have terracotta and brick banded decoration and a single sash window with divided upper pane. The 1st and 2nd floors of this bay are recessed, with triple 2-light replacement C20 windows at 2nd floor level and triple 9-light segmental headed windows on the 1st floor; these windows alternate with terracotta Ionic strip pilasters in art nouveau style. Above this there is a parapet pierced by triple occuli. The projecting flanking bays have terracotta and brick banded decoration to the ground floors with triple sash windows with divided top hung casements and raised keystones. Clasping art nouveau style pilasters adorn the corners of the 1st and 2nd floors carrying an entablature surmounted by a gable; the latter each has a plaque bearing the school coat of arms. The 2nd floors have stepped lights, the central light contained within a prominent window surround. The inner faces of these bays are similarly adorned with Ionic strip pilasters. The roofs are hipped with prominent ventilators and multiple brick chimneys. The attached single storey ranges at right and left have prominent and ornate entrances; each has a large round-arched doorway with alternating terracotta and red brick elongated voussoirs forming a sunburst pattern, flanked by art nouveau style Ionic pilasters decorated with festoons and which rise through the roof line; the word `GIRLS' and `BOYS' respectively fill the space above the doorway in art nouveau lettering. The single storey ranges to either side have banded terracotta courses and central keystones with rows of 2-light windows with divided upper panes. Roofs are hipped with tall brick stacks and ridge ventilators, those to the left range with ornate cupolas.
Rear (West) Elevation: the central section of this elevation has paired rectangular windows flanked by an entrance to the ground floor with at 1st floor level, six 6-light segmental windows with a cornice and parapet above. The 2nd floor is set slightly to the rear of the parapet and has paired full dormers with art nouveau detailing and a square projecting tower at either end. To either end of the central section there is a 5 bay 2-storey square projection comprising a rectangular tower with castellated pediment attached to a semi-circular projection with an oriel window and corner pillars rising above a curving parapet; this ends in a 3 bay section with a castellated parapet and art nouveau detailing. There is an entrance through each of the curving projections with a cartouche in terracotta above. The single storey ranges attached to right and left comprise former play sheds or pavilions which opened to the west onto the once extensive playing fields. Each comprises a central section of 9 bays with timber boarding and a central entrance with a timber gablet above; at either end there are pyramidal roofed changing rooms with roof ventilators.
North and South Returns: 5 bays and 3 storeys with rows of tall double and single light windows to all floors with similar detailing to the main elevation. Similar strip pilasters break the roof line with curving caps and paired gables with single oculus. The end bay of each return is formed by a stair tower with segmental windows, raised in height with a rebuilt chimney.
INTERIOR: a single storey vestibule opens into a large double height rectangular space with a coffered ceiling supported on substantial Ionic columns, which reflect the art nouveau style of the exterior. The east end is dominated by a double height wooden segmental arcade with art nouveau applied motifs, which continues around the north and south sides; at 1st floor level this carries a gallery with a wooden balustrade; at the centre of the eastern side, opposing flights of stairs descend to a lower balcony supporting the headmaster's dais. To the right and left classrooms open off this feature. Administrative rooms including a headmaster's room with fireplace and panelling occupy the ground floor of the arcade and further to the right there is a large wooden panel commemorating the staff and old boys who fought during the First World War; classrooms also open off at this level. The main assembly theatre, originally designed to be closed off behind sliding partitions, has a coffered plaster ceiling, panelling to the side walls and ornate art nouveau influenced ionic columns.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the surrounding brick wall has stone copings and replacement railings; it is pierced by a main public entrance flanked by ornate gate piers, each bearing a plate listing those fallen during the First World War; similar gate piers flank the girls and boys entrances and there are single corner pillars.'
The foundation stone was laid in 1907. It was a school for boys and girls with a 'pupil teachers centre' (where schoolchildren taught colleagues with lower grades whilst continuing with their own learning). It was built to accommodate 400 scholars and pupil teachers, most of whom paid fees for their education. The opening ceremony was on the 8th November 1909 by Alderman Isaac Black who had first raised the scheme in 1894. The school became an adult education centre in 1973 when Norham High School opened. It is now Tynemouth College.