A school has sat on the site of the current school for 350 years. Originally the school was named Hardhorn with Newton School. The original school buildings were positioned in the area of the old school. It is believed that this school was simply an old croft on a farmer's field.. 

Headmasters of the old school

John Sturzacker (1675 - 1686)

John lived in Poulton and was a church wadern at St Chad's Church. 

Tom Grimbalderston (1686 - 1692)

Tom was born in Marton in 1637 meaning that he was 49 years old when he took up the post of headmaster. 

John Bain (1703 - 1708)

This is the only headmaster that we have a record of being a schoolmaster. At that time there was only one school in Poulton. so in a regiser at St Chad's where John Bain is baptising his some John in 1703.  The occupation of the father is school master.

William Smalley (1708 - 1717)

William was the last of the headmasters of the old school before the land and buildings were bought by James Baines Foundation, with the proceeds of his money.  I doubt is the school was renamed James Baines School that possibly happened in the 1900s. The school would have been known as the Hardhorn with newto Free School. William was born and lived in Staining. 

Henry Bird (1717 - 1743)

Henry took up the post in the new school on 8th March 1717. 

 

Henry Bird