Originally, the site consisted of separate Infant, Junior and Senior buildings and replaced St Thomas C of E School. Its first intake even included Harry Rutherford, who later became a nationally recognised artist. He studied at the Manchester School of Art alongside L. S. Lowry and went on to become one of the earliest visual artists to appear on BBC television.
School life looked very different in those early years. Classes could have as many as 50 children, and teaching approaches were unlike those seen today. The Infant building stood within its own grounds and was heated by a coal fire, often used to gather children for story time. The school continued to support the community throughout the Second World War, welcoming evacuees into its classrooms.
Today, a collection of the school’s original log books is proudly displayed in our entrance area. These records capture daily life at the school over many decades and offer a fascinating glimpse into the experiences of pupils and staff throughout its long history.
As the decades passed, the original Leigh Street buildings began to show their age. By the early 1980s, the site was described as cramped and outdated, with no room for expansion, making it increasingly difficult to provide the growing range of facilities required for modern primary education. A council leaflet issued in 1983 confirmed that Leigh Street, along with other local schools, was scheduled for closure due to these limitations. In 2002, the school relocated to a new, more spacious site on Walker Lane and became Leigh Primary School.
In 2017, Leigh Primary School joined the Enquire Learning Trust and became Endeavour Academy. Today, it remains committed to providing the best education for the community it serves. The school continues to uphold the values of commitment, opportunity, resilience and excellence—principles that can be seen throughout its long and proud history.
.
