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Hall Green Schools

Sheila Smith said:
I was there 1954-1960. I lived in Robin Hood Crescent and walked to and from school on my own from age 5! Miss Dark was the head of the infants and Mr Shakespeare the juniors.
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I was at Hall Green Juniors from 1956 to 1960, having transferred from Pitmaston Primary School. My first teacher was Miss Ollerenshaw. Later my class teacher in 3.2 and 4.2 was Mr Hingley. I was tall for my age. My friend Chris Field arrived with me but was later promoted to class 4.1. I was very fond of a girl in my class called Ann Strangwood, but never saw her again after leaving the school and going to Moseley Grammar. Aah.
 
On my daily walk I headed up Pitmaston Road at lunchtime and went past Robin Hood Academy (it's a Primary School).



On this building it says "C.B.E.C. Erected 1931-2".



Another school building to the back.

 
thanks ell...the building looks pub like....at the risk of sounding thick what does CBEC mean...have an idea but not sure..

lyn
 
Think it might be City of Birmingham Education Committee. They certainly built schools before that date and, I assume, after as well.
 
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Definitely City of Birmingham Education Committee. I have letters from Mr. E. L. Russell in the early 1960s. Not him however in 1931-2 when Pitmaston School was built. The nearest I could find was Mr. P.D. Innes, Chief Education Officer in 1938.
 
ellbrown said:
On my daily walk I headed up Pitmaston Road at lunchtime and went past Robin Hood Academy (it's a Primary School).



On this building it says "C.B.E.C. Erected 1931-2".



Another school building to the back.

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When I attended in the 1950's, it didn't look like a secure young offenders institute - autres temps!
 
Lovely pic. When I was at Hall Green Junior school, the Infants school was also on the main site, near the Stratford Road and the Juniors was further back across the playground. In my last year there (1959/1960), my little brother was in the first year of the Infants. A line on the playground separated the two play areas, so I could talk to him at playtime, but not cross the line. There was no nursery at that time, nor any Covid-19.
 
Thanks. The Junior School is still in the old Victorian building on the Stratford Road opposite the Friends Meeting House.

I used to go to Hall Green School (the secondary school) off Southam Road from 1994-99.

Got some pics last week on another walk.





You have to cross this railway bridge.

 
When I left Hall Green Juniors, in 1960, to go to Moseley Grammar, there was a whole range of secondary schools, catering for different abilities. One of these was Hall Green Bilateral - a mixed selective school that was on the corner of the Stratford Road and Cole Bank Road. Now it seems to be the campus of a college. Another was Sparkhill Commercial, which I believe then moved and became Hall Green Secondary School. My brother went to Marsh Hill Grammar Technical School. We don't seem to have such a variety of options nowadays. Thanks for all your photos and comments.
 
That was Hall Green College, it is now South & City College Birmingham, Hall Green Campus. (South Birmingham College merged with City College Birmingham years ago).
 
Otty said:
When I attended in the 1950's, it didn't look like a secure young offenders institute - autres temps!
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The fencing - as at a lot of schools these days - is for security. The school I used to work at has fencing all round and the gates can be locked from within the school in case of intruders.

Hall Green Bilateral (now Hall green School) is behind the College. You used to be able to get to it by going in via the college gate on Stratford Road, crossing a bridge and in at the back of the school. The other entrance was the one Ell refers to in Southam Road.
 
There is a path to Hall Green (Secondary) School round the back from Stonerwood Avenue (off Petersfield Road). The path carries on around to the railway bridge. I might have used it in the 1990s, but mainly used Southam Road via Cole Bank Road.

I remember various extension buildings going up during my time there.

Playground was small, so sometimes they took us to do games at the Pickwick Cricket Club off Wake Green Road / Windermere Road.



The original cricket pavilion where where we changed burnt down, so this one is new.

 
They do still use Pickwick. A big yellow bus delivers groups throughout one day a week. Parks in the drive while one group uses the facilities, takes them to school and returns with another group and so on.
 
Great to know all this stuff. I lived in Hall Green in the council house where I was born, for 18 years before going to University - and it was still my home until I got married at 22 yrs. My older brother still lives in Brum and my parents are in the Robin Hood cemetery on Streetsbrook Road, so there are a number of occasions when I visit the old City, but it's lovely to hear all these details about places that formed part of the panorama of my growing up.
 
Does anyone know, how I would be able to find out the etymological and historical information on Hall Green?
I know where the name for Hall Green comes from. But, I would like to know more about the meanings and origins of some of the places name within this area of Birmingham.
 
Here is a book that I either won or was given at York Road School in July 1948. I was aged 5 and three quarters at the time. The book is about a group of children who find and observe small animals in the countryside or on a farm.
 

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And you still have it! I don't believe I won any prize while there. It was another world entirely, wasn't it?Whereabouts did you live? We obviously occupied much the same territory!
 
I lived in Sarehole Road. The walk to York Road School would involve walking up Cubley Road, across the traffic lights at the Stratford Road near the Rialto and then directly into York Road. Hall Green Parade was the centre for shops and catching buses into town or a Midland Red, much less frequently, to Stratford-upon-Avon.
 
When we lived on the Stratford Road, we walked up the hill, past the bungalows to York Road School. After we moved to School Road, we walked along the main road to Cateswell Road, then up either Russell or Edgecombe Road. I remember Sarehole Road well. We walked along it from the old house to Swanshurst Park. And, from School Road, we spent huge amounts of time playing in the ford at Green lane and along the River Cole, as others appear to have done!
Also, I have fond memories of the stone bridge over the River on Stratford Road. My grandparents lived in College Road, and my grandfather used to take me as a toddler to look through the pillars at the water flowing over the weir.
Actually, I think I am probably posting on the wrong thread now!
Do you remember the first Zebra crossing across the Stratford Road, nr the junction with Reddings Lane and York Road? Oh the excitement!
 
Elf9 said:
When we lived on the Stratford Road, we walked up the hill, past the bungalows to York Road School. After we moved to School Road, we walked along the main road to Cateswell Road, then up either Russell or Edgecombe Road. I remember Sarehole Road well. We walked along it from the old house to Swanshurst Park. And, from School Road, we spent huge amounts of time playing in the ford at Green lane and along the River Cole, as others appear to have done!
Also, I have fond memories of the stone bridge over the River on Stratford Road. My grandparents lived in College Road, and my grandfather used to take me as a toddler to look through the pillars at the water flowing over the weir.
Actually, I think I am probably posting on the wrong thread now!
Do you remember the first Zebra crossing across the Stratford Road, nr the junction with Reddings Lane and York Road? Oh the excitement!
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Hi just found this site about Hall Green and surrounding area's. My sister and I went to Hall Green infant and junior school in 1958 and we also lived on the Stratford Rd opposite the petrol station and picture house. The head teacher was Mr Shakespeare, my teacher was female and very free with hitting pupils with a ruler across the palms of the hands. Unfortunately it was me who got it more than most. Not particularly happy memories. Thankfully I later went to Pitmaston secondary school which was excellent with marvellous teaching staff. Our grandfather used to take us to the ford and Swanshurst Park which we loved. We moved away from Birmingham in 1963 but it brings back mixed memories of the past.
 
farmerdave said:
Hello Pat (#4). Looks as if we were not quite at York Road School at the same time. Your memory is better than mine but I do remember the names of all the teachers except Mr. Carter who must have been replaced by Mr. Spencer, in the top class, by the time I got there. My main memory of the first infants class was joining in with the singing and acting in songs such as "The Farmer's got a Wife", "Oranges and Lemons, the Bells of St. Clements", and "Old MacDonald had a Farm". There was also a board with everybody's name and gold stars next to them if you did well. Did you have any class photos or school photos taken when you were there? The only one I had was at the time of the Coronation and that was just an individual photograph. There were also team games in the assembly hall and you wore either a red, blue, green or yellow band to represent your team. A shield for best team of the year was hung in the school hall. Another feature was dressing up and acting in a school play. We all had a part but I usually played first tree from the right. They were happy days. Dave.
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Hello Dave and Elf9. I was at York Road Junior and Infants School From September 1947 until July 1953 I remember some of the people that you do and have some others you perhaps do not as it looks like I was a year ahead of you. I remember Elizabeth Carr and Anne Reid. They usually came to and went from school together as the lived near each other in Cateswell Road. I also remember Michael Tullett whose parents had a china shop on Stratford Road near Showell Green Lane. I also remember Meryl Grant who lived in Burnaston Road and Douglas Darby (or Derby) who lived near me in Springcroft Road. In case you are wondering I am Robert (Bob) Napper. I can't remember exactly when but Douglas and I were milk monitors which entailed carrying the crates of milk that had been left outside the infants classroom each morning to the other classrooms. We also took one to the upstairs room of the annex at the Methodist Church at the junction of York Road and Reddings Lane (I remember doing this but not how many times or why) My close friends at school were John Hipkins and Christopher Hawkins who both lived in Reddings Lane. All three of us went to Five Ways when we left York Road. Regarding the school staff I only remember Miss Dunton and Mr Shiner and Mr Belfield. Do you remember the separate playgrounds, the larger junior one at the Russell Road end and the smaller one for the infants at the other. there were separated by a lawn (on which we were forbidden to go on without permission). the only way to go between them was a path alongside the main building. The only other thing I remember is the sports ground we used in Cole Bank Road opposite Sarehole Mill. I hope that this is not too much information but fills in some gaps.

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Hi all, I was recently attended all the Hall Green schools leaving 5 years ago. I’m currently at university away from Hall Green and have become really interested in how our local area and community has changed. I’m really interested in the history of Hall Green, would anyone be able to point me in the right direction?

I’ve found it crazy how much the parade has changed over my lifetime, but upon further research I was shocked that there was a cinema in Hall Green!
 
I was at Yorkmead School from 1961-1966 (started a year late, as my first school, Moseley College, on the Wake Green & Yardley Wood Road crossroads, sold for flats, shut after my first year - not connected....). I so remember some of the teachers I had - lower school - Mrs. Hogben, was Miss Saunders - remember she was quite strict, didn't suffer fools, then upper school - Mr. Grainger - always seemed to wear a greenish tweedy suit, Mr. Spencer in the top class, always smelled of cigarettes. Miss Dunton was head while I was there, it looks like she had been there for years, judging by posts above, although she may have retired in my last year, as I seem to remember a male head, but no name..
I loved the school, and have happy memories of my time there, particularly as they got me through my 11plus, and then to King Edwards Camp Hill, same as my dad. Memories of the playground being frozen in the 1962-63 winter for months, so huge slides across the diagonal; the toilets with the livid green painted doors, and lovely brass door locks; racing toy cars (still have them) along the top corridor with its polished concrete floor.
I follow a Twitter account posting pics of Modernist buildings, and they posted this there -
https://twitter.com/x/status/1674363338401230850
I have attached the pic, which came from here -
https://modernism-in-metroland.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F719924234639540225
 

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