The Story of Benton Park

Benton Park has been a place of learning for nearly two centuries. From the establishment of a boys’ boarding school at Benton Park House in 1838 to the opening of the current school building in 2021, the site has served generations of young people.

Although its buildings and educational role have changed, its purpose has remained constant: providing young people with opportunities to learn, develop and achieve.

Where Our Story Began: 1838–1957

The history of Benton Park began long before the opening of the modern secondary school.

In the late eighteenth century, the Benton Park estate belonged to Benjamin Hird. By 1838, Benton Park House was being used as a boys’ boarding school run by Joseph Riley and his son John, who also taught at the school.

By 1851, 33 boys were living and studying at Benton Park House. An advertisement from 1875 described a school for “young gentlemen”, with a curriculum including English, French, drawing, music and dancing.

During the 1860s, the Milligan family purchased the estate and Benton Park House returned to use as a private home.

Education returned to the site in 1951, when the house became the senior department of Rawdon Littlemoor School. It continued in this role until 1957, when the house was demolished to make way for a new secondary school.

A New School for a New Era: 1957–1961

Following the demolition of Benton Park House, a purpose-built secondary school was constructed on the site.

Designed by Sir John Burnet, Tait and Partners, the new school reflected the confidence and ambition of post-war education. Its concrete-framed teaching blocks, large windows, covered walkways and extensive grounds created a distinctive campus overlooking Rawdon and the surrounding area.

Cyril Elliot was appointed as the school’s first Headmaster in 1959. Benton Park welcomed its first pupils in September 1960 and was formally opened by Lord St Oswald on Saturday 11 March 1961.

The opening represented a significant investment in secondary education for the growing communities of Rawdon, Yeadon, Guiseley and the surrounding area.

Establishing Benton Park: The 1960s and 1970s

During its first two decades, Benton Park established itself at the heart of its local community.

As the surrounding area developed, increasing numbers of young people attended the school. Traditions were established through lessons, assemblies, sport, music, drama, school visits and community events.

The buildings and grounds became the setting for friendships, performances, sporting achievements and shared experiences that remain important to generations of former pupils and staff.

The Original Buildings

The original Benton Park buildings were an important example of post-war school architecture.

The school consisted of concrete-framed teaching blocks connected by covered and elevated walkways. Different departments occupied distinctive areas of the site, while the hillside location, extensive glazing and large structural frames gave the school a striking appearance.

In the late 1990s, the concrete frame was painted white, making the original structure and organisation of the buildings more visible.

The school was later selected to represent 1960 in the national 100 Buildings, 100 Years project. For former pupils and staff, its shifting levels, walkways, departmental blocks, sports facilities and extensive grounds became a familiar part of everyday school life.

Growth and Recognition: The 1980s to the 2000s

The 1980s and 1990s brought further change as education, technology and the expectations placed on schools continued to develop.

Benton Park expanded its curriculum and facilities while maintaining its connection with the local community. Generations of pupils continued to build friendships, discover their interests and prepare for their next steps.

In 1998, Benton Park achieved Beacon School status. The national Beacon Schools programme recognised schools whose work could be shared with and support other schools.

In 2002, Benton Park gained specialist Technology College status. This placed an increased emphasis on technology and supported the development of information and communications technology across the curriculum.

The school aimed to prepare pupils for lifelong learning in a technological society while maintaining a broad curriculum and a caring, inclusive learning environment. It also strengthened links with primary schools, secondary schools, higher education institutions and the wider community.

During this period, Benton Park also received the Sportsmark Award, Artsmark Gold and the International School Award.

The Need for a New School

By the twenty-first century, parts of the original campus could no longer meet the needs of a large modern secondary school.

Approval for a major redevelopment was given in February 2019 and construction began in June 2020. The project was driven forward under the leadership of Headteacher Delia Martin, who played a central role in securing and overseeing the development.

The redevelopment created a modern educational environment while retaining and improving more recent parts of the existing site. The Sports Hall and Block 7 were retained, with Block 7 becoming N-Block and providing a dedicated home for Benton Park Sixth Form.

A New Chapter: 2021 onwards

Pupils and staff moved into the new school building on Wednesday 3 November 2021.

The new campus provided modern classrooms, specialist teaching spaces, a main hall, dining areas, landscaped courtyards and improved sports facilities.

The redevelopment was not simply the replacement of one building with another. It marked the beginning of a new chapter while carrying forward the identity, relationships, traditions and community developed at Benton Park over generations.

Demolition of the remaining original buildings began in March 2022, bringing to an end more than 60 years of daily school life within the former campus.

On 1 August 2025, Benton Park joined Moorlands Learning Trust. This created new opportunities to work in partnership with other schools while retaining Benton Park’s distinctive identity and connection to its community.

Benton Park Today

Today, Benton Park is a diverse and inclusive secondary school and Sixth Form serving pupils from across the local area.

We are proud of our history, but our purpose is not simply to preserve the past. It is to learn from it and continue improving the experiences and opportunities available to every pupil.

Our vision, “Together we belong, develop character and achieve excellence,” reflects both the school we are today and the values that will guide our next chapter.

Benton Park’s story has been shaped by thousands of pupils, members of staff, governors, families and members of the wider community. Each generation has made its own contribution to the school we know today.

Rooted in our history, united by our values and ambitious for generations to come.

Benton Park: The Full History

The Benton Park Estate

The history of the site extends back beyond its use as a school. In the late eighteenth century, the Benton Park estate belonged to Benjamin Hird.

The estate included Benton Park House and substantial surrounding grounds. Its position on the hillside and its relationship with nearby settlements made it a recognisable feature of the local area long before the creation of the modern school.

The Boys’ Boarding School

By 1838, Benton Park House was being used as a boys’ boarding school. The school was run by Joseph Riley and his son John, who also taught there.

The 1851 census recorded 33 boys living and studying at Benton Park House. This provides important evidence of the scale of the school and establishes the site’s long connection with education.

An advertisement published in 1875 described Benton Park House as a school for “young gentlemen”. The education offered included English, French, drawing, music and dancing.

The surviving advertisement, photographs and records provide valuable evidence of the first educational community associated with Benton Park.

A Return to Private Use

During the 1860s, the Milligan family purchased the Benton Park estate. Benton Park House returned to use as a private residence, although the grounds continued to form part of local life.

Photographs of the house, its gardens and surrounding estate preserve an important record of the site before the creation of the modern secondary school.

Rawdon Littlemoor School

Education returned to Benton Park House in 1951, when the building became the senior department of Rawdon Littlemoor School.

The arrangement continued until 1957. The house was then demolished to prepare the site for a purpose-built secondary school capable of serving the growing population of Rawdon, Yeadon, Guiseley and the surrounding communities.

Planning the New Secondary School

The development of the new Benton Park School began during a period of significant national investment in secondary education.

Cyril Elliot was appointed as the school’s first Headmaster in 1959, before the new school received its first pupils. This allowed the leadership, organisation and identity of Benton Park to begin taking shape ahead of its formal opening.

The school was designed by Sir John Burnet, Tait and Partners. Its design reflected the principles of post-war educational architecture, with concrete-framed teaching blocks, broad areas of glazing and departments distributed across a large campus.

Covered and elevated walkways connected different parts of the school. The hillside setting created a series of changing levels and gave parts of the campus extensive views across Rawdon and the surrounding area.

The Opening of Benton Park School

Benton Park welcomed its first pupils in September 1960.

The school was formally opened by Lord St Oswald on Saturday 11 March 1961. The occasion marked the completion of a significant new educational development for the local area.

The purpose-built school provided teaching accommodation, sports provision, performance spaces and extensive grounds. These facilities supported both academic learning and the wider experiences of school life.

Building a School Community

During the 1960s and 1970s, Benton Park grew alongside the communities it served.

The school’s identity was shaped not only through classroom learning but also through assemblies, sports teams, musical activities, dramatic productions, school journeys, clubs and community events.

Pupils and staff established traditions that were carried forward by later generations. Photographs of sports teams, performances, visits and school events record this developing sense of community.

For many former pupils and members of staff, memories of Benton Park are closely connected with the physical character of the original buildings: the walkways, staircases, departmental blocks, changing levels, playing fields and gathering spaces.

A Distinctive Example of School Architecture

The original Benton Park campus became an important example of post-war educational architecture.

Its concrete frame was initially more understated but was painted white during the late 1990s. This made the structural organisation of the site more visible and reinforced the school’s distinctive appearance.

The buildings were later selected to represent the year 1960 in the national 100 Buildings, 100 Years project. This recognition highlighted the architectural significance of a campus that generations of pupils and staff knew primarily as the setting for everyday school life.

Change During the 1980s and 1990s

During the 1980s and 1990s, Benton Park continued to develop in response to changes in education and society.

New technologies became increasingly important, the curriculum evolved and expectations of secondary schools expanded. Benton Park adapted its facilities and provision while retaining its established links with local families and communities.

The school remained a place in which pupils could develop interests, participate in sport and the arts, build friendships and prepare for further education, employment and adult life.

Beacon School Status

In 1998, Benton Park achieved Beacon School status.

The Beacon Schools programme recognised schools whose successful work could be shared with others. Benton Park’s inclusion in the programme reflected the national recognition of its work at that time.

Beacon status also reinforced the school’s responsibility to work in partnership and contribute to improvement beyond its own site.

Technology College Status

In 2002, Benton Park gained specialist Technology College status.

Technology College status became an important part of the school’s identity during the early 2000s. It supported the further development of information and communications technology and reflected the school’s ambition to prepare pupils for a changing technological society.

The school sought to combine technological development with a broad curriculum, a caring learning environment and recognition of different forms of achievement.

Its work extended beyond the school through links with local primary schools, other secondary schools, higher education institutions and the wider community.

During this wider period of development, Benton Park also received the Sportsmark Award, Artsmark Gold and the International School Award.

Ageing Buildings and the Case for Redevelopment

Although the original campus was architecturally distinctive, parts of the complex became increasingly difficult to adapt to the requirements of a large modern secondary school.

By the twenty-first century, the condition, organisation and limitations of parts of the site created a clear need for redevelopment.

In February 2019, approval was given for a major renewal of Benton Park. The plans sought to create modern teaching and specialist spaces while retaining and improving parts of the existing estate that could continue to serve the school.

Construction of the New School

Construction began in June 2020.

The redevelopment was driven forward under the leadership of Headteacher Delia Martin, who played a central role in securing, shaping and overseeing the project.

The development retained the existing Sports Hall and Block 7. Block 7 became N-Block, creating a dedicated base for Benton Park Sixth Form. This allowed parts of the previous school estate to continue serving pupils as part of the new campus.

Opening the New Building

Pupils and staff moved into the new Benton Park School building on Wednesday 3 November 2021.

The new building provided modern classrooms, specialist facilities, dining areas, a main hall, landscaped courtyards and improved sports provision.

Its opening marked one of the most significant moments in Benton Park’s history. However, the development was more than a physical change. The school’s traditions, relationships and community continued within the new environment.

The End of the Original Campus

Demolition of the remaining original buildings began in March 2022.

The demolition brought to an end more than six decades of daily school life within the former campus. For generations of former pupils and staff, the original buildings remained closely connected with important memories and experiences.

Photographs and personal recollections preserve the story of the former campus and provide a link between Benton Park’s past and its future.

Joining Moorlands Learning Trust

On 1 August 2025, Benton Park School joined Moorlands Learning Trust.

This marked another significant stage in the school’s development. Membership of the Trust created opportunities for greater collaboration and partnership while allowing Benton Park to retain its distinctive identity and place within the local community.

Looking Ahead

Benton Park continues to build on a history stretching back to 1838.

The school’s buildings, curriculum and organisational structure have changed considerably, but the site’s connection with education has endured.

Today, Benton Park’s vision is:

Together we belong, develop character and achieve excellence.

Its values of kindness, resilience and responsibility connect the school’s proud history with its ambitions for the future.

Benton Park’s story belongs to everyone who has learned, worked, performed, competed, contributed or built relationships here. It is a history shaped by generations, and one that continues to be written.

Many former Benton Park pupils have gone on to make significant contributions within their chosen fields and communities.

This section celebrates former pupils whose attendance at Benton Park and subsequent achievements have been verified.

• Anna Blyth – Former member of the Great Britain Cycling Team and British track cycling champion.
• David Miliband – Former Foreign Secretary and Member of Parliament for South Shields.
• Billy Pearce – Comedian and stage performer who attended Benton Park under the name Stephen Cookson.
• Oliver Wainwright – Architecture and design critic whose experience of the original Benton Park buildings helped inspire an interest in architecture.
• Joe Tasker – Presenter and online content creator.
• George Webster – Television presenter and advocate for greater representation of people with Down’s syndrome.
• Ranjodh Bains – Award-winning software developer.
• Adam Reed – Entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Help Us Tell the Story of Benton Park

We are continuing to develop the Benton Park archive and would be pleased to hear from former pupils, members of staff, governors, families and local residents.

We are particularly interested in:

• Photographs of the school, its pupils and staff.
• School magazines, programmes and yearbooks.
• Photographs of sports teams, productions, visits and events.
• Uniform, badges and other school memorabilia.
• Newspaper articles and press cuttings.
• Memories of school life.
• Information about significant events and achievements.
• Stories about former pupils and members of staff.
• Material relating to Benton Park House and Rawdon Littlemoor School.
• Photographs and memories of the original Benton Park campus.
• Records relating to the redevelopment and opening of the new school.

If you have material that could help us tell the story of Benton Park, please contact the school with a brief description of what you hold.

Please do not send original items until arrangements have been agreed. All information and photographs will be reviewed before publication. Where possible, we will record the date, the people shown and the source of each item.

By contributing material, you can help preserve Benton Park’s history for former, current and future generations.

The history of Benton Park has been preserved through the care, knowledge and generosity of former pupils, members of staff, governors, families and members of the wider community.

We would particularly like to thank former Deputy Headteacher Richard Hoban for compiling his detailed account, Benton Park Back Story 1838–2011, and for sharing his extensive knowledge of the school and its history.

We also recognise the work of Aireborough Historical Society in preserving photographs, documents and records relating to Benton Park, Rawdon Littlemoor School and the wider local community.

Our thanks also go to everyone who has contributed photographs, school publications, programmes, newspaper articles, memories and personal stories. These contributions enable us to record not only changes to the buildings, but also the experiences of the people who have made Benton Park what it is.

The Benton Park archive will continue to develop as further records, photographs and memories become available. We welcome corrections and additional information that can help us make this account as complete and accurate as possible.

A proud history. A strong community. An ambitious future.