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Kings Heath Junior & Infant School

A

angela burley

master brummie
I attended Institute Road infants and juniors Kings Heath 1952-58, i only remember my first teacher Miss Purbeck or Burbeck and doing p.e.on the horrible scratchy coir mats,the fantastic Delphiniums grown by the caretaker and playing kiss chase at playtime. I was supposed to go on to the new Queensbridge School in Queensbridge Rd Kings Heath but we moved house to Yardley so i went to Bierton Secondary Modern 1959-62 as did my brother Alan 1957-68. My younger sister went to Blakesley Hall school Yardley and then Waverley Grammar.
 
Angela i used to like playing kiss chase but my mom made me stop i used to keep catching an S.T.I a sexually transfered infestation-----I GOT NITS. He He Dek
 
Derek you are awfull you gave me quite a scare for a moment..... but then i smiled,glad i didnt go to your school we used to get the nit nurse,REGULARLY!!!!!.Angela
 
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Institute Road Junior and Infants School, Institute Road (northern corner with High Street), King's Heath. This was an early Board School, c 1880. By the 1930s it was deemed no longer fit for purpose, and Wheelers Lane J&I was built to replace it, from January 1939. The site was scheduled to have a cinema built on it. The war intervened, and when George Mason's, grocer's, warehouse was bombed, the school buildings were requisitioned to be used by Mason's. After the war, Mason's warehouse was rebuilt, but with the "baby boom" more school accommodation was needed, and the long-condemned buildings were refurbished and re-opened as a school, serving for more than ten years (see Angela Hurley's post 189 above). I think they were eventually replaced by a primary school in Valentine Road.
 
Here's one that might interest you. It's one of several sent to me some years ago by a member of the Kings Heath Local History Society. It's one of Kings Heath School taken on Parents Day 1931. I have an interest in the school as my Mom went to "The Institute" (as she called it) in 1924.

1931 Kings Heath School.jpg
 
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Jayell said:
Here's one that might interest you. It's one of several sent to me some years ago by a member of the Kings Heath Local History Society. It's one of Kings Heath School taken on Parents Day 1931. I have an interest in the school as my Mom went to "The Institute" (as she called it) in 1924.

View attachment 85690[Hello Jayell, I know it's a very long shot but do you have any names for this photo. I am not sure but i think that the boy on the back row in the hat to the left of the policeman is my Father Arthur Davenport, he lived in Jutland Rd Billesley and would have been c9 years old. Thanks Clive
Click to expand...
 
Sorry Clive, I'm afraid I have no names for the children on the photos. Wouldn't it be great if it was your father in the photo. I do have other photos of Kings Heath school groups though if you are interested - not sure what year your Dad was at the school, but I have them for 1922, 1923 1924, 1925 and 1927. Let me know if any are of interest and I will post them. By the way my Mom lived in Bromwall Road, Billesley, when she was at the school in 1923 to about 1927.

Judy
 
Judy here is another photo that i have i found,Kings Heath May Festival 1933. Dad is the first boy top very left of photo, i'm sure it is him on your 1931 copy as you posted above, what a great find. THANK YOU
Incidentally the girl bottom left with a ring around was i believe a first sweetheart. Clive001.jpg
 
Hi Clive - I've looked at your Dad in the photo you've just posted, and it certainly does look like him in the one I put on for 1931. What a lovely photo! How fantastic for you to have your Dad in both pictures. It's really great when you see one of your family on the old photos. I was hoping that I might recognise my Mom in one of those I have here, but unfortunately I don't. Her name was Winifred Hanson but she would have left the school by the time of both these photos. What year did your Dad start at Kings Heath school? My Mom started there in 1924 when she was 11 and the family moved to Billesley from Aston (where she was at Upper Thomas Street School). I also have a copy of the school log somewhere but at the moment can't locate it to check the date. If it contains anything that might be of interest to you I will let you know. I will also post a 1927 Infants Dept photo when I get chance, just in case your Dad might be on that as well.

Judy
 
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Hi Judy, It has been a great discovery and very much appreciated,glad that you also agree on Dad on the 1931 photo, Just sad that i cannot ask him now.
Dad was born in 1922 so may just be on your 1927 photo or log,when you locate them.
Would it be to cheeky to ask if it would be possible to have a copy of your photo? ( would of course pay costs)
Many thanks
Clive
 
Hello Clive. I am attaching the 1927 Kings Heath Infants' Parents Day 1927 photo, but think the children might be too old to show your Dad on it.
Also I am sending you a private message. Judy

Kings Heath School 1927 001.jpg
 
Hello Judy, Thank's for another great photo, i cannot see Dad i this one ,perhaps a bit to young. I love the face peeping through the glass door.
Regards, Clive
(have replyed to your message)
 
Hey Clive! I didn't notice the little face peering through the window till you mentioned it!

Judy
 
Not a photo, but for Clive here is a page from Kings Heath School Log Book. The date for the first entry on the page is 2 May 1925 - Empire Day.

KH 1925 001.jpg
 
My Mom went to Kings Heath School in 1924, when the family moved from Aston to Billesley. She always called it 'The Institute', and would tell me how she would button up her boots and walk across Billesley Common from Bromwall Road to school. Billesley Common looks a bit different these days! This is a photo taken in 1931 at the Parents Day. My Mom would have left by then, but I am hopeful of finding a picture of her. I have quite a few school photos of the school from 1924 to about 1931 but havent found her yet. I wonder if I would recognise her?
1931 Kings Heath School.jpg
 
Hello Judy,

My spell in Kings Heath was from 1950-1960 and Billesley Common certainly seems to have changed since then. My late wife's uncle had what you might term "an easily recognisable" face and I have a very good photograph of his class at Barford Road Infants School in Ladywood, but I'm afraid I've been unable to recognise him as peoples faces change so much over the years. But good luck with your search.

Maurice
 
Thanks Mo. I didn't know you had a connection to the school. Just for interest, here is a page from the Kings Heath School Log Book Christmas/New Year 1929-30.

Judy

KH 1929-30 001.jpg
 
Thanks, Judy, I love reading those old school logs. Absence due to minor epidemics seems to be a familiar theme with all of them, and in rural schools absences due to harvesting of a particular crop too. I lived in a cottage in Albert Road when I was a schoolboy and had an aunt living in Bank Street.

Maurice
 
From the History online site:

KING'S HEATH COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL, High Street.(27) King's Heath Bd. Sch. opened 1878 (25) by King's Norton Sch. Bd. Accom. 493 B, G, I.(21) Fees 1d.–3d.(22) Accom. for 298 used 1885–95 in former King's Heath National Sch. Site enlarged 1890 and new JM block, accom. 316, opened 1895. Enlarged (420 extra accom.) 1900. Bd. of Ed. demanded substantial improvements in premises 1912. Altered and reorganized 1915 for B, G, I and 1928–30 for SB, JM, I. Site enlarged 1934. Closed 1939 on opening of Wheeler's Lane Council Sch. Former I block (built 1895) reopened 1949 for JI. Other block repaired and opened 1951 for JM, I dept. remaining in smaller block.(21) Accom. 1961: 16 classrooms, 2 halls.(28)

KING'S HEATH (INFANT) NATIONAL SCHOOL, High Street. In existence 1846, when it was not in union with Nat. Soc. (first called a Nat. sch. 1870).(1) In one room with a mistress. N.o.b. 43 B, G. Supported by subscriptions and fees. The schoolroom was then not secured a trust deed of 1856 presumably referred to the same property (Digest of Endowed Charities (Worcs.), H.C. 162 (1900), lxiii). Received annual grant intermittently from 1858.(1) Enlarged c. 1870 with Nat. Soc. help.(29) Closed 1878.(25) Building used 1885–95 as JM dept. of King's Heath Bd. Sch.(21)
 
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