By Adrian Jones
At the centre of Frances Street in Farsley, nestled among old stone terraces and whispering trees, stands Westroyd Primary School, a small building with a mighty heart and a story woven into the very fabric of the village it serves.
Westroyd is more than just Farsley’s oldest school; it’s a living reminder of the village’s origins.
With a proud history stretching back over 200 years, the school was established in the days when Farsley bustled with the rhythm and hum of looms.
The village, like much of West Yorkshire, was built on wool. Mills stood like cathedrals of industry to the working class spirit, and generations of local families found their livelihoods in the weaving sheds and dye houses that once lined the valley.
It’s fitting, then, that Westroyd’s school logo is a sheep, a tribute not only to the wool industry that shaped Farsley’s identity, but also to the values of community, resilience, and togetherness that have defined both the village and the school for centuries.
The sheep represents the foundation of Farsley’s prosperity, but at Westroyd, it has come to symbolise something more: the idea that every child is part of the flock, cared for, supported, and given the space to grow.
Though it is Farsley’s smallest school, Westroyd has always had the biggest family. Generations of local children have passed through its doors, some taught by the same former teachers. In a fast-changing world, this sense of continuity and connection is rare, and precious.
During recent VE Day celebrations, that sense of history came alive. Children learned not just about wartime Britain, but about their own village’s contributions, from the textile mills producing uniforms and blankets for soldiers, to the families who sacrificed so much on the home front.
The school, decorated with flags and bunting and the laughter of children, became a bridge between past and present.
And in the centre of it all, the sheep on Westroyd’s crest stood proud, a symbol of a heritage honoured and a future nurtured with care.
Westroyd may be small in size, but its roots run deep, and its impact ripples far. Like the golden threads of wool that once spun through Farsley’s mills, the story of Westroyd is one of strength, warmth, and a community bound together by shared history, pride, and hope.
- Adrian Jones (Parent Governor) May 2025
