Coal Hill schoolyard

Coal Hill schoolyard
Also called:	Coal Hill playground
Location:	Coal Hill School

Coal Hill School had a schoolyard, or playground.

1960s

In the 1960s, the crush hall led out to the playground. There were rules in said playgrounds—not school rules but kid rules—about fighting, and the things boys couldn't do to girls there. According to Susan Foreman, Gillian Roberts didn't count as a girl for this, but she did. (PROSE: Time and Relative)

Sometime in 1963, at lunchtime on the day Susan brought the Blessing Star with her to school, she sat near a group of boys playing football in the playground. When the ball came her way, she instinctively kicked it back in the game, with an expert curveball into the back of the net. (PROSE: The Rag & Bone Man's Story)

On 26 March 1963, there was another thick fall of fresh snow, so the next day, Susan Foreman, John Brent and Gillian Roberts built a snowman. Gillian hoisted up a Year One student named Sadie Lederer to let her make the face.

On 1 April at morning break, there was a big snowball fight, which was started by teachers. Ian Chesterton threw a snowball at the back of Mr Okehurst's head, and shouted, "April fool!" Okehurst, in turn, authorised his football team to join the fight on his side.

During the fight, Francis Minto threw a snowball full of marbles at Gillian. She flicked one of them back at him, hitting him right above the eyebrow and making him bleed. He hit their snowman with a cricket bat, barely even leaving a mark. Then the snowman came to life, and came after Minto, shooting spears of ice into his leg. Okehurst thought it was the girls' fault, and sent them to the Head's Office.

A Dalek shuttle lands for the second time on the playground. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

Later that day in detention, everyone there, including Susan, Gillian and Dudley Hatcher, had to clear up the snow and ice that had gathered around the playground area. The Cold made their attack while they worked, and everyone there but Susan and Gillian, including Mr Okehurst, was killed. (PROSE: Time and Relative)

In June 1963, the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan landed the TARDIS "right in the schoolyard" at Coal Hill School, several months too early in their timeline to return Ian and Barbara. (AUDIO: Home Again, Home Again)

In November 1963, a Dalek shuttle landed on the playground. When the Seventh Doctor and Ace arrived, a little girl named Judith Winters watched them from the gate, and later played hopscotch, chanting "five-six-seven-eight. It's a doctor at the gate." The Doctor noticed the landing marks on the pavement.

Later, the Dalek shuttle landed again in the same location. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)

2010s

In the early 2010s, Coal Hill had a giant chess board painted on the schoolyard pavement, with correspondingly sized chess pieces. (TV: The Caretaker) The Coal Hill Cadet Squad met on the schoolyard. (TV: Into the Dalek)

In 2013, Ben Ellison threw a water balloon at Kelly Squires as she walked across the schoolyard. (PROSE: Normality)

In 2014, Clara Oswald told Jack and Morgan that they could play chess on it, but when they instead played football, she made them clean up after themselves.

A Skovox Blitzer later chased Clara across the playground and into the caretaker's storeroom. (TV: The Caretaker)

22nd century

Towards the end of the 22nd century, Susan found that the playground had since been torn up and replaced with a garden, Coal Hill having been converted to a block of flats over a hundred years prior. (AUDIO: All Hands on Deck)