Calder Vale St. John’s Church of England School is an Aided Primary School provided by Church of England Trustees to serve principally persons resident in Calder Vale, Oakenclough, Barnacre and parts of Claughton-on Brock. It provides for children between the ages of 4 and 11 and is maintained by the Lancashire County Council as Local Education Authority. Admissions are controlled by the Governors.
St. John’s School was built, along with the adjoining Church in 1863. It is situated on a hill above the village of Calder Vale, surrounded by hills and moorland, which border the Forest of Bowland. From the village, the School can be reached via a footpath (one third of a mile). This path is flanked by the River Calder on one side and a fenced-off mill pond on the other. The footpath continues through Church Wood where in late springtime the masses of bluebells are beautiful.
The alternative route for transport is through the hamlet of Oakenclough. Regarding the distance of the school from the village, over the years the question has been asked, “Why did they build the School and Church up there and not in Calder Vale?” The possible answer appears to be that a site large enough to accommodate an Anglican School, Church and Churchyard was not available in the village.
The problem was eventually solved by the Garnett family of Quernmore Park near Lancaster. Mr Garnett also owned Bleasdale Tower and the land which is now the School and Church. Before 1863 the School was held in the hall now known as Calder Vale village hall. Even to this day many of the senior residents in the village refer to the cottages adjoining the village hall as school cottages.
A wooden building, the infants’ classroom, was demolished in 1967 to provide
a site for the new extension. This was dedicated on 23rd September 1967 by the
Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Rev. C. R.Claxton.
Another classroom attached
to the original school building was converted into the school kitchen, which
is soon to be redeveloped as an IT classroom.
The school enjoys strong community links in its area of Calder Vale, Oakenclough
and Barnacre.