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School - Institute Road, Kings Heath

S

suemalings

master brummie
I know there is a Catholic School in Institute Road now but does anyone know if it has always been a Catholic School, or was there another school in this road. I have a relative on the 1921 census who was part-time at a school in Institute Road, Kings Heath, so I am trying to find out what kind of school or college it would be for a 14 year old and if she was taking a subject such as typewriting.
 
Mainly about The Institute but a mention and a photo of the school in post #9...

Kings Heath Institute

Does the Institute still exist ? I don’t seem to be able to see it on Streetview. Image dated 1907. Viv.
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
The current school in Institute Road is Bishop Challoner and according to British History Online

BISHOP CHALLONER R.C. MODERN SCHOOL, King's Heath. Opened 1953 as a special agreement sch. N.o.b. 1961: 400.
 
There was another school which was in Institute Rd many years before Bishop Challoner was built in the mid 50's. It was called Kings Heath Primary School and was split into Infants and Juniors with separate buildings and playgrounds. It was a wonderful Victorian styled building which added a lot to the area and was much loved by a few generations of Kings Heath residents who went there. It was on the corner of Institute Rd and Kings Heath High St and Woolworths was on the opposite corner. Diagonally across the road was the MEB showroom. The school was moved to Valentine Rd some years ago and was replaced by a row of shops including a MacDonalds where my classroom used to be. I went there from about 1954 to 1960. I loved the school and ran the few miles to get there most mornings. To me it was a place where I could play football, cricket in the playground at every opportunity and swim at Kings Heath Baths opposite All this was interrupted with some time in a classroom called lessons. Something must have sunk in as I went on the pass the 11+ and to go on to Grammar School. Eight out of a class of 40 ish passed the 11+. We had swimming lessons across the road at Kings Heath Baths and Birmingham City Council gave me a free pass at around aged 8 for completing a length of the baths. We were taught to swim by a Mr Watt - the old joke of "What's your name ?" - "Watt" is still trotted out 60 years later. This was great for me as at home we didn't have a bathroom or hot water so a 3 or 4 times a week visit to the swimming baths kept me clean. I look back very fondly on my time at the school and it gave me a great foundation for learning that served me well for life. I also starred as Joseph in the Nativity play but, sadly, this was both the start and end of my acting career.
 
My younger brother was at Kings Heath Junior and infant school in the early 1970's. The school closed mid 70's and he was transferred to the Newly built Junior and infant school on the corner of Poplar Rd and Valentine Road. Which was handy as we lived on Springfield Road at the time(a few houses away from the school). I believe this school was originally built around 1880 and was firstly Kings Heath Board School.

This an early picture School on the left:
 

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mv52 said:
I was a student at the Primary School in 1959.
Click to expand...
Hello, I was a pupil at Kings Heath Primary and Junior Schools. I started when I was about 5 so that would have been about 1959. I'm trying to remember my first teacher's name. I remember the word Heart was in her surname and she was a lovely teacher (maybe it was Miss Hartman). I throroughly enjoyed my time at that school. Some other teachers names were in infants, Miss Pickavance, Miss Tenant I think, and in Juniiors Mrs Vernon, Mr Lamb, a trainee teacher Mr Garratt-Reed, and the best teacher of all I had for the last two years, was Betty Driver. She was the Deputy Head teacher and after she got so many of her class through the 11+, I heard she was promoted to Head Teacher in another school.
 
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Vivienne14 said:
Anyone remember the visit of Ken Dodd ? Can you name the school? This was in 1962.

View attachment 194804
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I don't think that photo could have been taken in Kings Heath School, Institute Road, because the pupils around him seem to be wearing a uniform and I don't remember any uniform at that school, or his visit. I would have been in 1962 so in the first year of Juniors.
 
Janet Hunt said:
My younger brother was at Kings Heath Junior and infant school in the early 1970's. The school closed mid 70's and he was transferred to the Newly built Junior and infant school on the corner of Poplar Rd and Valentine Road. Which was handy as we lived on Springfield Road at the time(a few houses away from the school). I believe this school was originally built around 1880 and was firstly Kings Heath Board School.

This an early picture School on the left:
Click to expand...
I went to the original Kings Heath Infants and Junior Schools on Institute Road until 1965. I also lived in Springfield Road but left there in 1972. My family still lived there until 1977.
 
KRO Brummie said:
There was another school which was in Institute Rd many years before Bishop Challoner was built in the mid 50's. It was called Kings Heath Primary School and was split into Infants and Juniors with separate buildings and playgrounds. It was a wonderful Victorian styled building which added a lot to the area and was much loved by a few generations of Kings Heath residents who went there. It was on the corner of Institute Rd and Kings Heath High St and Woolworths was on the opposite corner. Diagonally across the road was the MEB showroom. The school was moved to Valentine Rd some years ago and was replaced by a row of shops including a MacDonalds where my classroom used to be. I went there from about 1954 to 1960. I loved the school and ran the few miles to get there most mornings. To me it was a place where I could play football, cricket in the playground at every opportunity and swim at Kings Heath Baths opposite All this was interrupted with some time in a classroom called lessons. Something must have sunk in as I went on the pass the 11+ and to go on to Grammar School. Eight out of a class of 40 ish passed the 11+. We had swimming lessons across the road at Kings Heath Baths and Birmingham City Council gave me a free pass at around aged 8 for completing a length of the baths. We were taught to swim by a Mr Watt - the old joke of "What's your name ?" - "Watt" is still trotted out 60 years later. This was great for me as at home we didn't have a bathroom or hot water so a 3 or 4 times a week visit to the swimming baths kept me clean. I look back very fondly on my time at the school and it gave me a great foundation for learning that served me well for life. I also starred as Joseph in the Nativity play but, sadly, this was both the start and end of my acting career.
Click to expand...
I also went to that school and loved it. I was there from about 1959 to 1965. My brother and sisters went to Bishop Challoner's School but my brother passed a 13+ exam and transferred to Moseley Grammar School which was mainly an Art School. I passed the 11 + so did not go to Bishop Challoner's
 
MarianPatricia said:
Hello, I was a pupil at Kings Heath Primary and Junior Schools. I started when I was about 5 so that would have been about 1959. I'm trying to remember my first teacher's name. I remember the word Heart was in her surname and she was a lovely teacher (maybe it was Miss Hartman). I throroughly enjoyed my time at that school. Some other teachers names were in infants, Miss Pickavance, Miss Tenant I think, and in Juniiors Mrs Vernon, Mr Lamb, a trainee teacher Mr Garratt-Reed, and the best teacher of all I had for the last two years, was Betty Driver. She was the Deputy Head teacher and after she got so many of her class through the 11+, I heard she was promoted to Head Teacher in another school.
Click to expand...
Hello! My teacher there was Miss Pickavance. I never forgot that name... The only other name I remember was a fellow named Mr. Green who was the janitor and maintenance man. He was always very nice to the kids.
 
MarianPatricia said:
I also went to that school and loved it. I was there from about 1959 to 1965. My brother and sisters went to Bishop Challoner's School but my brother passed a 13+ exam and transferred to Moseley Grammar School which was mainly an Art School. I passed the 11 + so did not go to Bishop Challoner's
Click to expand...
I think that Moseley School of Art was different to Moseley Grammar School. Moseley School or Art was on the Moseley Road next to the Corporation Bus Garage in Balsall Heath. Moseley Grammar was on Wake Green Road and was not very arty - more sporty.
 
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