A selection of News Paper cuttings
The Shropshire Star, Saturday May 15th 2010
Whatever happened to the Apley Park School?
Toby Neal remembers a school that marked the end of an era as the county's only council-run boarding school
There cannot have been many Shropshire schools with a finer setting than Apley Park School.
One of the few secondary modern boarding schools in Britain, it was based in a grand mansion in the Shropshire countryside between Telford and Bridgnorth, close to the banks of the River Severn.
I have memories of once playing rugby in an inter-schools match on one of the riverside pitches. It officially closed in July 1987, although at that time there were only a handful of fifth formers taking exams and staff left. Most had departed already, at the end of the summer 1986 term.
It marked the end of an era, as it was the county's only council-run boarding school Shropshire County Council decided that it should shut, despite a long and vigorous campaign of opposition from parents and governors. The county felt that it was no longer viable because of a fall in pupil numbers.
Last speech day was on June 14, 1986. There were at that time 57 pupils, of whom those from the lower school were leaving to start at new schools in the autumn, leaving behind a small core. The hall was put up for sale after the closure and, after a long period of uncertainty which saw it put on the Buildings At Risk register by English Heritage, was finally converted into luxury flats.
The Apley Park School story actually began at another grand country property in the south of the county - Millichope Hall, near Munslow. This was a county council boarding' school through the 1950s. Prefects were known as "ministers" and the pupils were divided into different ministries - Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Sport, and so on.
It was not a regime for softies. The teenage pupils were expected to get up at 7am and, rain or shine, run and touch the main gate - perhaps the best part of a mile away. They had to be 'back, showered, dressed in everyday clothes, make their beds and be out of the dormitory by 7.30am to perform their ministry tasks.
Millichope-School moved in its entirety to Apley Park during the summer break in 1962, the new term starting in September 1962 at the new location, with pupil numbers rising from 60 boys at Millichope to 96 at Apley, with more expected.
Oil paintings depicting members of the Foster family remained on the walls at Apley at the family's request.
The traditions continued. The "Minister for Food" kept the dining room tidy and his staff of boys served at the tables-on special occasions, while the "Minister for Home Affairs" looked after cleaning of part of the house. There was a "Cabinet" of senior boys. Offending pupils would have to "go to Cabinet" to hear their punishment.
At that time the "Prime Minister", or head boy, was Julian Danks, of Shifnal, and the "Foreign Secretary" who was responsible for greeting visitors on Sundays was Stuart Turner, 15, of Stone Acton, Cardington. The headmaster was Mr Eric Gordon Shults.
Archery was a favourite sport at the school. Boys' champion in 1962 was the "Prime Minister", 15-year old Julian Danks (right)
An aerial view of the halls and grounds
The wood-panelled library