Salford Grammar School

Grammar school in Salford, Greater Manchester, England

Salford Grammar School

Address

Leaf Square (1914–1955)
Eccles Old Road (1956–1973)

Salford

Greater Manchester

England

Coordinates| 53°29′36″N 2°18′15″W﻿ / ﻿53.4933°N 2.3043°W﻿ / 53.4933; -2.3043
Information
Type| Grammar school
Motto| "Audendum dextra"[1]
Established| 1904
Closed| 1973
Local authority| Salford City Council
Gender| Boys
Age| 11 to 18
Enrolment| 500
Houses| Gloucester, Lancaster, Warwick, York[1]
Colour(s)| Green, gold[1]

Salford Grammar School was a grammar school for boys in Salford, founded in 1904. From 1969, it was known as Salford Grammar Technical School. It was disestablished in 1973, with the coming of comprehensive education.

## History

[edit]

The school was established in December 1903 and opened in 1904 as the Salford Municipal Secondary School for Boys, in the buildings of the Salford Royal Technical Institute (SRTI), now the University of Salford.[2] In its early years, the principal of the SRTI, Herbert B. Knowles, was also the school's headmaster. In 1909, the two were separated, with Knowles continuing as head of the school only. He remained in post until 1913.[3]

In July 1914, the school moved into a new building in Leaf Square, but only a few weeks later the First World War broke out and that building was requisitioned as a military hospital. The school did not return there until March 1920.[4]

The school was renamed as Salford Grammar School in 1932,[4] when it took in the boys of the Central Higher Grade Scholarship School and the pupil teachers from the Pupil Teachers Centre on Victor Street.[5]

In September 1939, the Second World War broke out, and the fear of air raids from Germany led to the school being evacuated to Lancaster, where it shared the buildings and sports fields of the Lancaster Royal Grammar School. However, it returned to Salford when the air raids failed to happen.[6]

In 1945, the headmaster of the school, C. J. Gill, joined HM Inspectorate of Schools and later rose to become Chief Inspector of Teacher Training.[7]

After the war, in the late 1940s, Brian Simon taught at the school for three years. He was struck by the success of the small number of boys who passed an exam to transfer from a secondary modern school and later made much of this in his arguments for comprehensive education.[8]

In 1937, the Salford Education Committee had bought a house on Eccles Old Road called Claremont, formerly the residence of Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, which had large grounds. New school buildings were begun on the Claremont site in 1953, with the main entrance on Chasely Road, and on 12 January 1956 the school moved into them. The new building was officially opened by the Mayor of Salford on 21 March 1956. Demolition of the old school building at Leaf Square began in 1964, and in 1955 the new Salford College of Technology opened on that site.[4]

In the 1950s and 1960s there was a strong tradition of drama in the school, and the school library was well supplied with newly published plays. Notable old boys from the period include Les Blair and Mike Leigh, who worked together on the film Bleak Moments (1971),[9] and the actor Albert Finney.[10]

On 1 September 1969, Salford Grammar School merged with the adjoining Salford Technical High School to form Salford Grammar Technical School on the Claremont site. The new Technical School building became the home of the sixth form, while the lower forms were taught in the older grammar school range.[4]

## Character

[edit]

In 1969, the school was still in many ways modelled on an English public school. There were prefects and a house system, with four houses called Gloucester, Lancaster, Warwick, and York. Some schoolmasters wore academic caps and gowns. There was a school uniform, consisting of a green blazer with the school badge and motto ("Audendum dextra") on the breast pocket, worn with grey trousers, a green and gold striped tie, and a green cap. Boys were also expected to carry a black leather briefcase to school.[1]

## Headmasters

[edit]

* 1903–1913: Herbert Bottomley Knowles[3]
* 1927–1941: Herbert Ben Winfield[2]
* 1927–1941: Josiah G. Altham[2]
* 1942—1945: Cyril James Gill[2]
* 1945–1963: Eric G. Simm[2][11]

## End of the school

[edit]

In 1973, a system of comprehensive education was adopted in Salford. Salford Grammar Technical School and Pendleton High School for Girls were closed, and two new schools replaced them, Pendleton College (now Salford City College), and Buile Hill High School (now Buile Hill Academy).[4] Special arrangements were needed for charitable trusts connected with the grammar school, which were ultimately wound up. In 2008, the funds in the Frank Rivett Memorial Prize Fund were transferred to the charity Forever Manchester which "supports community activity across Greater Manchester".[12] In 2008, the grammar school building opened in 1956 was demolished.[5]

Five boxes of school records are held by the University of Salford for the period 1903 to 1972, including report books, pupil admission registers, staff registers, Headmaster's reports, and prospectuses.[2]

In 1978, Albert Finney and Harold Riley established an art prize in memory of Eric Simm, headmaster when they were boys at the school.[11][13]

## Notable former pupils

[edit]

See also: Category:People educated at Salford Grammar School

* Les Blair (born 1941), film and theatre director[9]
* John Caine FRSA, author
* Neville Chamberlain (1939–2018), Bishop of Brechin[14]
* Paul Driver (born 1954), music critic of the Daily Telegraph[15]
* Albert Finney (1936–2019), actor[10]
* Michael Fidler (1916–1989), Conservative politician and President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews[16]
* David Glencross, Chief executive of the Independent Television Commission[17]
* Sir Sidney Hamburger (1914–2001), Chairman, North Western Regional Health Authority[18]
* Barry Hartle (born 1939), professional soccer player
* Norman Haycocks, Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham from 1946 to 1973[19]
* Mark Hendrick (born 1958), Labour politician
* D. G. Hessayon (born 1928), gardening author[20]
* Peter Hook (born 1956), musician
* Sir Ralph Kohn (1927–2016), pharmacist[21]
* Mike Leigh (born 1943), film director[9]
* Harvey Lisberg (born 1940), talent manager and impresario
* Michael McKinnell (1935–2020), architect
* John Pitt-Brooke, Director-General Secretariat at the Ministry of Defence[22]
* James Porter CBE, Director General of the Commonwealth Institute from 1978 to 1991[23]
* Tom Price (1902–1973), Labour politician[24]
* David Quinn (born 1959), artist
* Harold Riley (1934–2023), artist[25]
* John Maurice Shaftesley (1901–1981), journalist[26]
* Richard Austin Spencer (1892–1956), Conservative politician[27]
* Bernard Sumner (born 1956), musician with Joy Division and New Order[28]
* Lister Tonge (born 1951), clergyman
* Leslie Wagner (born 1943), economist, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University and the University of North London[29]
* Jim Wallwork (1919–2013), first Allied soldier on French soil on 6 June 1944
* Graham Ward (born 1955), Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford[30]
* Peter Boyle (born 1954), journalist (ret). Sunday Times Football Editor, Daily Express Asst Sports Editor.
* Graham Nash, musician. Member of the 'Hollies', 'Crosby, Stills and Nash'

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Garry Rogers, Keith Potter, Undercover Policing and the Corrupt Secret Society Within (Pen and Sword True Crime, 2020), p. 14
2. ^ a b c d e f SALFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL RECORDS", salford.ac.uk, accessed 20 October 2023
3. ^ a b "Entry for HERBERT BOTTOMLEY KNOWLES", in SALFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL RECORDS", salford.ac.uk, accessed 20 October 2023
4. ^ a b c d e "Salford Grammar School", Jisc at jisc.ac.uk, accessed 18 October 2023
5. ^ a b Damon Wilkinson, "Greater Manchester's lost schools - and the stars who went to them", Manchester Evening News, undated, accessed 20 October 2023
6. ^ Paul Severn, The Roman Catholic Bishops of Lancaster: Celebrating the Centenary 1924–2024 (Sacristy Press, 15 September 2023), p. 35
7. ^ Trends in Education (Center for Education Statistics, 1967), p. 2
8. ^ David Kynaston, Family Britain, 1951–1957 (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010), p. 325
9. ^ a b c Michael Coveney, The World According to Mike Leigh (London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1996), pp. 7, 45
10. ^ a b Quentin Falk, Albert Finney in Character: A Biography (Robson Books, 1993, ISBN 978-0-86051-823-5, pp. 5–7
11. ^ a b "The Eric Simm Award", salfordfoundationtrust.org.uk, accessed 29 October 2023
12. ^ "CHARITIES IN CONNECTION WITH SALFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL: Charity number: 527193 Removed charity", "Frank Rivett Memorial Prize Fund", charitycommission.gov.uk, accessed 20 October 2023
13. ^ Neal Keeling, "Famous sons offer art prize", Manchester Evening News, accessed 20 October 2023
14. ^ "Chamberlain, Right Rev. Neville" in Who's Who 2008 (London, A. & C. Black, 2008) ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
15. ^ "Driver, Paul William (born 14 Aug. 1954), writer and critic" in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
16. ^ "Fidler, Michael M., (10 Feb. 1916–5 Sept. 1989)", ukwhoswho.com, accessed 18 October 2023 (subscription required)
17. ^ David Glencross (obituary), The Daily Telegraph, accessed 18 October 2023 (subscription required)
18. ^ "Hamburger, Sir Sidney (Cyril), (14 July 1914–6 June 2001)" in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
19. ^ "HAYCOCKS, Professor Norman" in Who's Who 1958, Vol. 110 (A. & C. Black, 1958), p. 1360
20. ^ "Hessayon, Dr David Gerald (born 13 Feb. 1928), gardening author", in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
21. ^ "Sir Ralph Kohn", ajrrefugeevoices.org.uk, accessed 20 October 2023
22. ^ "Pitt-Brooke, John Stephen (born 9 Sept. 1950), Chief Executive, Forces Pension Society, 2015–18" in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
23. ^ "Porter, James Forrest (2 Oct. 1928–27 Oct. 2012), Director General (formerly Director) of the Commonwealth Institute, 1978–91" in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
24. ^ "Obituary: Mr Tom Price, Labour MP for Westhoughton", The Times, 2 February 1973
25. ^ "Harold Riley", in David Buckman, Artists in Britain since 1945: M to Z (Art Dictionaries Ltd, 2006, ISBN 978-0-9532609-5-9), p. 1348
26. ^ "Shaftesley, John Maurice (25 June 1901–11 Aug. 1981), Editor of publications, Jewish Historical Society of England" in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
27. ^ "SPENCER, Capt. Richard Austin" in Who Was Who 1951–1960 (A. & C. Black, 1961), p. 1030
28. ^ Lindsay Reade, The Life of Ian Curtis: Torn Apart (2009), p. 51
29. ^ "Wagner, Prof. Leslie (born 21 Feb. 1943)" in Who's Who 2008 online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 (subscription required)
30. ^ "Ward, Rev. Canon Prof. Graham John (born 25 Oct. 1955), Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, since 2012; Fellow and Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, since 2012" in Who's Who online, accessed 21 October 2023

## Further reading

[edit]

* Eric G. Simm, Salford Grammar School: a history (Salford Grammar School, 1956)

## External links

[edit]

* "Salford Grammar School Photographs", University of Lincoln
* LifeTimesLink 2004/05 History of Salford Grammar/Technical High School at pages 4–5
* Old Salfordians Association (Archive.org) \- alumni association for Salford Grammar School

* v
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Schools in Salford

Secondary schools|

* The Albion Academy
* Aldridge UTC@MediaCityUK
* All Hallows RC High School
* Beis Yaakov High School
* Buile Hill Academy
* Co-op Academy Swinton
* Co-op Academy Walkden
* Ellesmere Park High School
* Irlam and Cadishead Academy
* The Lowry Academy
* Moorside High School
* Oasis Academy MediaCityUK
* St Ambrose Barlow RC High School
* St Patrick's RC High School
* Salford City Academy

Independent schools|

* Bridgewater School

Further education colleges|

* Salford City College

Defunct schools|

* Broughton High School
* Joseph Eastham High School
* St George's RC High School
* Salford Grammar School
* Worsley Wardley Grammar School

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