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Kings Heath High School

B

B12babe

Guest
Hi All,

Can anyone remember the Kings Heath High School on the Alcester Road South, opposite Livingstone Road. I was there 1963 to 1967 Was wondering what the old building was, before it became a school founded in 1957. Many thanks.
 
Hi B12babe,
Welcome to the forum, I lived in Livingstone Road so remember the school well. It appears to have existed before 1957, as these two images from Barrie Geens book https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/KINGSHEATHTOTHECOUNTRY.htm shows
The advert is dated March 1937, and although the school was shown as 148, Alcester Road South I believe this would have been later re-numbered as 231 Alcester Road South.
The photo dates from 1947, and shows
" A group of pupils in their brown and yellow uniforms at the school "
Click to expand...

Colin
 
They also had a school at Olton. The owners were Major Dean Davis and his wife. I went to the Olton Branch but went with some of the pupils from Kings Heath on a school trip to Scotland circa 1951, the uniform was brown and yellow.
 
I attended this school from 1956 to 1961. We did wear the brown and gold uniform, and I remember it as if it was yesterday. Major Davis and his wife had corgies which ran around the garden next to the playground !!!
 
Hi!! I have been doing a bit of research and have found out at the original building was Brunswick House. This was the main building/house where Major Dean-Davis and his wife lived. Hope this is useful.
 
I attended the school until 1959, I remember Major Davies, Mrs. Plant, Mrs. Pearsoll (?) but most of all Mrs. Larat who was very kind to me.,
 
Viv,

I lived in Kings Heath for 11 years (1950-1961 approx) and never even knew that existed, though it does look rather like a large private house, and probably was at one time.

Maurice
 
I was there from about 1949 to 1952. Remember Miss Grocer, Mrs Pearsall, Mrs Lerat, Miss Glydon (piano), Major & Mrs Davies and others. Somewhere I still have a school report & a couple of school photos. Reading other people's comments bring it all back!
 
I went to Kings Heath High School from 1952 to 1959. Remember Major Dean Davies and all the teachers fondly. We had Derieff Taylor (Father of Lord Taylor) as the school cricket coach. I saw Derieff regularly at Edgbaston.
 
I'd never heard of Kings Heath High School during my time at Wheelers Lane School, in the mid-50s. I now remember a place opposite Livingstone Rd, we allways called it "The Private School" but I have no memory of the pupils there, or their uniform.
 
My 1st cousin 2x removed Sylvia Colborn (1913 - 1999) was a friend of Ida Reece who bought the Private School in either the late 1920s or early 1930s. Sylvia's sister Joyce Colborn (1907 - 2009) was also a pupil at the school.
 
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Welcome Martin. It’s always good to hear from those with connections to schools. It adds a little more to the background which I’m sure others will find useful. Viv.
 
I attended KHHS from 1953-1958. Its full name was Kings Heath High School for Girls, Preparatory School for Boys. I remember Mrs Pearsall and Mrs Plant fondly, and Major E. A. Dean Davis, the proprietor. He and his wife lived in the big house in whose grounds the school buildings stood. Derief Taylor was our cricket coach on the pitch of Kings Heath Cricket club behind the school. I gather the cricket club is still there. My sister Yvonne, five years younger than me, also went to KHHS. When I left, I went to King's Norton Grammar School. I am in the process of writing a memoir, which may have no interest for anyone else but me, so this thread has proved immensely useful. Thanks to all for the memories.
 
Stuart Linnell said:
I attended KHHS from 1953-1958. Its full name was Kings Heath High School for Girls, Preparatory School for Boys. I remember Mrs Pearsall and Mrs Plant fondly, and Major E. A. Dean Davis, the proprietor. He and his wife lived in the big house in whose grounds the school buildings stood. Derief Taylor was our cricket coach on the pitch of Kings Heath Cricket club behind the school. I gather the cricket club is still there. My sister Yvonne, five years younger than me, also went to KHHS. When I left, I went to King's Norton Grammar School. I am in the process of writing a memoir, which may have no interest for anyone else but me, so this thread has proved immensely useful. Thanks to all for the memories.
Click to expand...
Stuart Linnell said:
I attended KHHS from 1953-1958. Its full name was Kings Heath High School for Girls, Preparatory School for Boys. I remember Mrs Pearsall and Mrs Plant fondly, and Major E. A. Dean Davis, the proprietor. He and his wife lived in the big house in whose grounds the school buildings stood. Derief Taylor was our cricket coach on the pitch of Kings Heath Cricket club behind the school. I gather the cricket club is still there. My sister Yvonne, five years younger than me, also went to KHHS. When I left, I went to King's Norton Grammar School. I am in the process of writing a memoir, which may have no interest for anyone else but me, so this thread has proved immensely useful. Thanks to all for the memories.
Click to expand...
We must have over lapped as I left KHHS in 1959 to go to King’s Norton Grammar School which I left in 1965 to join the FCO in 1966 (due in no small part to my time at KHHS). Neil Hart
 
I was there from 1967 to 1973. My sister who is four years older than me also attended the school. The uniform of the day was yellow and brown - the girls always wore a boater in the Summer, whilst we always wore our caps.

I remember the 'Major' - but my teachers included Mrs Randall and Mrs Larat (who at my time taught French). I also remember standing in line to buy sweets from the 'tuck-shop' and the Major, who by then was either confined to a wheelchair or always sat in a wheelchair took your pennies ...

Are there any other contributors from my time there ? I have an old school photo from my last year, when the whole school stood on the lawn, teachers in the middle, very young children at the front and the rest of us on chairs or stools at the back.

I moved from there to King Edwards Foundation School in Edgbaston at the age of eleven.
 
I was there 59-65 and my sister Caroline was there 63-71 (she started in nursery when 3). Teachers were Miss Etherington, Mrs Randall, Mrs Larat, Mrs Plant and the wonderful Mrs Smith. Remember climbing sides of boys’ toilets to look over, sports days on the lawn, being allowed into the garden’ on hot days, Major Dean Davis carrying out a public caning, being called the pyjama kids by kids from other schools, Miss Plant standing on wall that divided playgrounds and having to try to touch beanbag she was holding, Singing Together, eating lunch at our desks....and so much more
 
My family lived in Haunch Lane,my dad worked in his Uncle Bert Gordons ,the Butchers and my mum was Megan Knowles.
I attended the school Round 1956/9 before moving to Christchurch.

I can still recall the Major but not his wife,it must have been a good school as I was top of my class after I moved and about a term ahead of the rest of the class.
 
I was there ‘75 to ‘81. Mr Taylor was still teaching sports, we’d go to Highbury Park, with his flat cap keeping his bald head warm. Mrs Larat also. Mrs Randall was the feared secretary, everyone was scared of being sent to see her! The building was a beautiful old Victorian pile with a ball room, marble fire places, lovely tiled floors and grand oak staircase. There was a huge oak sign board with gold leaf in the hall with all the names of the previous head boys and girls. We all knew about The Major, he was said to haunt the attic which was out of bounds! (Kids imagination). Other teachers Mrs Wharton (music) Mrs Box and Mrs Cole (nursery), Mrs Guy (head teacher) was fantastic, I still think of her and some of the fun things she did. There was a May Pole in the lawn which would be danced around at the summer fete. The owner at the time was a local builder / developer who eventually demolished the building and built flats, a travesty as the building really was a gem.
Steve Wilkes
 
I attended KHHS from Sept 1956 to July 1962 and I certainly remember some of the teachers:- Mrs Plant, Mrs Randall, Mrs Smith (for my last two years) and the fearsome Mrs Pearsall in her wooden office just off the main hall. Does anyone else remember a seemingly elderly Miss Phillips?
Not mentioned elsewhere in here was the Major's batman, a Mr. King I seem to remember.
I also remember being Milk Monitor one winter, having to lug the crates of frozen milk bottles around the school was not fun!
 
Railwaymaniac,

Welcome to the Forum. I lived in Albert Road, Kings Heath throughout the 1950s and 1960, never knew about the school, but well remember seeing that brown and gold uniform about. I wasn't so inquisitive in my early 20s! Enjoy your time here, & feel free to make use of the search button on the top right of every page.

Maurice :cool:
 
Anne Lawler said:
I was there 59-65 and my sister Caroline was there 63-71 (she started in nursery when 3). Teachers were Miss Etherington, Mrs Randall, Mrs Larat, Mrs Plant and the wonderful Mrs Smith. Remember climbing sides of boys’ toilets to look over, sports days on the lawn, being allowed into the garden’ on hot days, Major Dean Davis carrying out a public caning, being called the pyjama kids by kids from other schools, Miss Plant standing on wall that divided playgrounds and having to try to touch beanbag she was holding, Singing Together, eating lunch at our desks....and so much more
Click to expand...
Hello Anne I remember both you and your sister. I am sure we were in the same class! I attended KHHS from ‘59 to ‘65. My maiden name was Hatto, I have a younger sister Carol who also attended. I remember starting in Mrs Randall’s class and we were allowed to play with toys - everyone wanted an old stuffed toy a dog I think. I remember Mrs Skinner’s class in the annex, a wooden building in the garden. She had an amazing farm play table that was covered in sand. I also remember being in Mrs Larah’s class and best of all was Mrs Smith’s. I disliked the school dinners especially the stew!! Mr King used to do most of the cooking and all the odd jobs around the school. I too remember the caning given to a young lad who had borrowed money, the school motto being neither a lender nor a borrower be!
 
ColinB said:
Hi B12babe,
Welcome to the forum, I lived in Livingstone Road so remember the school well. It appears to have existed before 1957, as these two images from Barrie Geens book https://www.bhamb14.co.uk/index_files/KINGSHEATHTOTHECOUNTRY.htm shows
The advert is dated March 1937, and although the school was shown as 148, Alcester Road South I believe this would have been later re-numbered as 231 Alcester Road South.
The photo dates from 1947, and shows

Colin
Click to expand...
 
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