King Edward VI School Edgbaston 1936

[Vivienne14]

Links to other King Edwards Schools in the Birmingham area are below

New Street

King Edward's School, New Street 1838 - 1936

Links to other King Edwards Schools in the Birmingham area are below Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Five Ways

King Edward VI School, Five Ways 1883 - 1958

New Street https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edwards-school-new-street-1838-1936.9441/ Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Camp Hill

King Edwards Grammar School Camp Hill

His university education was interrupted by war service. After demobilisation in 1946, he completed his M.A. and teacher training. His first teaching post was as classics master at Raynes Park School. In 1955 he was appointed as headmaster at Rastrick Grammar School in Yorkshire, and then in...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Handsworth
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...dwards-girls-grammar-school-handsworth.16714/

Handsworth Grammar King Edward Boys' Grammar Grove Lane

Here are other links to King Edward's Schools in the Birmingham area: Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Aston

King Edwards Grammar School Aston 1883

Links to other King Edward's Schools in the Birmingham area are : Edgbaston https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/king-edward-vi-school-edgbaston-1936.57135/#post-811091...

birminghamhistory.co.uk

Edgbaston

King Edward High School for Girls Edgbaston Park Road

Hadn't realised this but the building was once King Edward's High School for Girls - Edmund Street. Postcard dated 1904. Viv.

birminghamhistory.co.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Monty inspecting KEGS cadets.



Source : British Newspaper Archive

 

[devonjim]

Monty inspecting KEGS cadets.

View attachment 187401

Source : British Newspaper Archive

Probably KES Edgbaston, Camp Hill head in 1950 was Tom Rogers, a Quaker so we didn't have Cadet Corps.

 

[Vivienne14]

Boys presenting "Railway Roundabout"


Source : British Newspaper Archive

 

[pjmburns]

Monty inspecting KEGS cadets.

View attachment 187401

Source : British Newspaper Archive

I don't think KES Five Ways (now at Bartley Green) is the same as KES Edgbaston.

 

[Vivienne14]

This is confusing Janice. I thought KE was at Five Ways until 1958, then from 1958 moved to Bartley Green, Scotland Lane (and still there today).

 

[pjmburns]

Yes but there is also a King Edwards at Edgbaston (the ne which moved from New Street) which I assume is the one Devonjim referred to in post #10. The Edgbaston one shares the site with the girls school.
See here

History of the School - King Edwards School

King Edward’s School, Birmingham was founded in 1552 by King Edward VI, one of a number of now famous schools created during the young king’s brief reign. Gild of the Holy Cross (1552) The School was formed by the Gild of the Holy Cross, a medieval religious guild in Birmingham, and received the...

kes.org.uk

 

[Vivienne14]

Thanks Janice. I've now set up this KE Edgbaston thread and shall give links to all those in the (Birmingham) KE foundation on other appropruate threads.

 

[Vivienne14]

Some interesting history about the school move from New Street to Edgbaston in 1936


"1936 the old building on New Street had become a fire risk, and soot from the nearby train station was also an issue. The school also did not have any nearby space for sports, and had to travel to the playing fields near the present-day school. As a result, plans were made by the Governors and the then Headmaster, Edwin Thirlwall England, to move to a new site at Edgbaston Park Road/Bristol Road, in Edgbaston, along with the girls' school. At the time this new site was in the countryside, along with the nearby university.

Ironically, the temporary buildings erected on South Field of the new site in 1936 burnt down. The school was forced to move for a time to the University of Birmingham's Great Hall and surrounding buildings until new temporary buildings could be erected. The move was complicated by the outbreak of the Second World War, and the subsequent evacuation of the pupils to Repton School for a short period.

October 1939 saw the requisition by the War Office of the temporary buildings and surrounding playing fields, and they were used by the British and US armies for the remainder of the war. This use included, from February 1945, the basing of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion: the only all-female, multi-ethnic US Army unit to be deployed overseas during the war. The 855 women, predominately African-American, were sent to Birmingham to sort and redirect a huge backlog of mail for US service personnel in Europe. The women of '6888' (Six Triple Eight) lived and worked at King Edward's for 3 months to sort and despatch over 17 million items of mail, processing approximately 65,000 pieces of mail per shift at a rate of 3 shifts per day. In May 2019, US Ambassador Woody Johnson presented a blue plaque to the school to commemorate the 6888th's achievement; the plaque now features on the route of guided tours organised by the Black Heritage Walks Network. The temporary buildings were later converted into classrooms before being demolished in 1958".

 

[Vivienne14]

And here are the temporary buildings which were requisitioned during WW2.

 

[Vivienne14]

After being in temporary accommodation, students start to attend the new school building.


Source : British Newspaper Archive

 

[Vivienne14]

Former masters. I've come across references to 'Big School' a few times. Can someone explain what this was at KEGS please? Thanks.

Source : British Newspaper Archive