BELL BLOCK SCHOOL CELEBRATED 150 YEARS AT EASTER 2006.

How did Bell Block get it's name ? The name of Bell Block comes from Francis Dillon Bell (later Sir) who purchased the Bell Block land (1500 acres) in November 1848 from the local Puketapu people.		When did the school start in Bell Block ? Formal schooling in Bell Block goes back nearly 150 years. The settlers of the district first requested the Superintendent of the Province for a site for a chapel, school house and cemetery in September 1854.
Who financed the first school in the area ? Grants for schools were unheard of then and a site for a chapel was only given. The Methodists, who were the first to give any kind of education to the early settlers of New Plymouth, allowed the use of their chapel (built in 1855) situated on the corner of the now Devon and Mangati Roads. They also helped in procuring a teacher, Mr Joseph King, from Sydney. Record of the actual opening date of the school appears to have been lost but in 1856 the roll was reported as 17.		When was the first Public School built ? In 1872 under the Taranaki Education Reserve Act (of 1871) a school was built on a triangular piece of land lying between Chesney Street and Devon Road. It had two rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. In 1878 public education became "free, secular and compulsory" and was provided for from the general finance of the country in addition to educational endowments.
Some important dates in the life of Bell Block School. By 1886 the original school was inadequate (roll 82) and the Education Board had a new school built. The new school had two rooms and a porch and the classes were now combined - boys and girls together. The grounds were inadequate for sports as part of them had to be used as a horse paddock where the children's ponies were left while they were at school. In 1935 the Education Board finally made a grant for more playing fields. In 1936 a large area on the northern side of Chesney Street was purchased, the street closed and a large playing area made. In 1952 due to overcrowding at nearby Fitzroy School due to the closure of Hillsborough and Tarurutangi Schools the Education Board decided to build a new modern school at Bell Block. In 1959 there was a roll of 280 pupils with 10 teachers. In 1978 the roll was 609 with 20 teachers and 19 classrooms. In 1979 the roll was nearly 700. In 1980 nearby Puketapu School was built to alleviate overcrowding of the site and the roll dropped back to 554 and has further decreased with changing population patterns. In 2002 the school roll was 296. Easter 2006 the school celebrated its 150th Jubilee.