Salford Grammar School was a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

for boys in

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

, founded in 1904. From 1969, it was known as Salford Grammar Technical School. It was disestablished in 1973, with the coming of

comprehensive education Comprehensive may refer to: * Comprehensive layout, the page layout of a proposed design as initially presented by the designer to a client. *Comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, th ...

History

The school was established in December 1903 and opened in 1904 as the Salford Municipal Secondary School for Boys, in the buildings of the Salford Royal Technical Institute (SRTI), now the

University of Salford The University of Salford is a Public university, public research university in Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, west of Manchester city centre. The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, which opened in 1896, be ...

.SALFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL RECORDS"
salford.ac.uk, accessed 20 October 2023 In its early years, the principal of the SRTI, Herbert B. Knowles, was also the school's headmaster. In 1909, the two were separated, with Knowles continuing as head of the school only. He remained in post until 1913."Entry for HERBERT BOTTOMLEY KNOWLES", in
SALFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL RECORDS"
salford.ac.uk, accessed 20 October 2023 In July 1914, the school moved into a new building in Leaf Square, but only a few weeks later the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

broke out and that building was requisitioned as a military hospital. The school did not return there until March 1920."Salford Grammar School"

Jisc Jisc is a United Kingdom not-for-profit organisation that provides network and IT services and digital resources in support of further and higher education and research, as well as the public sector. Its head office is based in Bristol with ...

at jisc.ac.uk, accessed 18 October 2023 The school was renamed as Salford Grammar School in 1932, when it took in the boys of the Central Higher Grade Scholarship School and the pupil teachers from the Pupil Teachers Centre on Victor Street.Damon Wilkinson
"Greater Manchester's lost schools - and the stars who went to them"
''

Manchester Evening News The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...

'', undated, accessed 20 October 2023 In September 1939, the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

broke out, and the fear of air raids from Germany led to the school being evacuated to Lancaster, where it shared the buildings and sports fields of the

Lancaster Royal Grammar School Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) is an 11–18 boys grammar school in Lancaster, England, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. Old students belong to The Old Lancastrians. The school's sixth form opened to girls in 2019. LRGS is also in the Unit ...

. However, it returned to Salford when the air raids failed to happen. In 1945, the headmaster of the school, C. J. Gill, joined HM Inspectorate of Schools and later rose to become Chief Inspector of Teacher Training. After the war, in the late 1940s, Brian Simon taught at the school for three years. He was struck by the success of the small number of boys who passed an exam to transfer from a

secondary modern school A secondary modern school () is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Secondary modern schools accommodated the majority (70–75%) of pupil ...

and later made much of this in his arguments for comprehensive education. In 1937, the Salford Education Committee had bought a house on Eccles Old Road called Claremont, formerly the residence of Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, which had large grounds. New school buildings were begun on the Claremont site in 1953, with the main entrance on Chasely Road, and on 12 January 1956 the school moved into them. The new building was officially opened by the Mayor of Salford on 21 March 1956. Demolition of the old school building at Leaf Square began in 1964, and in 1955 the new

Salford College of Technology Salford City College is a further education college in Salford, Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to ...

opened on that site. In the 1950s and 1960s there was a strong tradition of drama in the school, and the school library was well supplied with newly published plays. Notable old boys from the period include

Les Blair Leslie "Les" Blair (born 23 October 1941, Manchester, England) is a BAFTA winning television, film and theatre director. He was educated at Salford Grammar School, where he was a friend of Mike Leigh, later producing Leigh's first feature film, ...

and

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin In ...

, who worked together on the film '' Bleak Moments'' (1971),

Michael Coveney Michael Coveney (born 24 July 1948) is a British theatre critic. Education and career Coveney was born in London and educated at St Ignatius’ College in Stamford Hill, and Worcester College, Oxford. After graduation, he worked as a script ...

, ''The World According to Mike Leigh'' (London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1996), pp. 7, 45 and the actor

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

. On 1 September 1969, Salford Grammar School merged with the adjoining Salford Technical High School to form Salford Grammar Technical School on the Claremont site. The new Technical School building became the home of the

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

, while the lower forms were taught in the older grammar school range.

Character

In 1969, the school was still in many ways modelled on an English public school. There were

prefects Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

and a

house system The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. The school is divided into units called "houses" and each student is allocated to on ...

, with four houses called Gloucester, Lancaster, Warwick, and York. Some

schoolmaster A schoolmaster, or simply master, is a male school teacher. The usage first occurred in England in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period. At that time, most schools were one-room or two-room schools and had only one or two such teacher ...

s wore academic caps and gowns. There was a school uniform, consisting of a green

blazer A blazer is a jacket worn as part of a smart casual or business casual look. Similar to a sport jacket, a blazer is not part of a formal suit, and the terms "sport coat" and "blazer" may be used interchangeably in daily life. A nautical bl ...

with the school badge and motto ("Audendum dextra") on the breast pocket, worn with grey trousers, a green and gold striped tie, and a green cap. Boys were also expected to carry a black leather briefcase to school.Garry Rogers, Keith Potter, ''Undercover Policing and the Corrupt Secret Society Within'' (Pen and Sword True Crime, 2020),
p. 14
/ref>

Headmasters

*1903–1913: Herbert Bottomley Knowles *1927–1941: Herbert Ben Winfield *1927–1941: Josiah G. Altham *1942—1945: Cyril James Gill *1945–1963: Eric G. Simm

End of the school

In 1973, a system of comprehensive education was adopted in Salford. Salford Grammar Technical School and Pendleton High School for Girls were closed, and two new schools replaced them, Pendleton College (now Salford City College), and Buile Hill High School (now Buile Hill Academy). Special arrangements were needed for charitable trusts connected with the grammar school, which were ultimately wound up. In 2008, the funds in the Frank Rivett Memorial Prize Fund were transferred to the charity Forever Manchester which "supports community activity across Greater Manchester". In 2008, the grammar school building opened in 1956 was demolished. Five boxes of school records are held by the University of Salford for the period 1903 to 1972, including report books, pupil admission registers, staff registers, Headmaster's reports, and prospectuses. In 1978,

and Harold Riley established an art prize in memory of Eric Simm, headmaster when they were boys at the school."The Eric Simm Award"
salfordfoundationtrust.org.uk, accessed 29 October 2023

Notable former pupils

(born 1941), film and theatre director * John Caine FRSA, author *

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

(1939–2018),

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*Paul Driver (born 1954), music critic of the ''Daily Telegraph'' *

(1936–2019), actorQuentin Falk, ''Albert Finney in Character: A Biography'' (Robson Books, 1993, , pp. 5–7 * Michael Fidler (1916–1989), Conservative politician and President of the

Board of Deputies of British Jews The Board of Deputies of British Jews, commonly referred to as the Board of Deputies, is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established in 17 ...

* David Glencross, Chief executive of the

Independent Television Commission The Independent Television Commission (ITC) licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom (except S4C in Wales) between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003. History The creation of ITC, by the Broadcasting Act ...

*Sir Sidney Hamburger (1914–2001), Chairman, North Western Regional Health Authority *

Barry Hartle Barry Hartle (8 August 1939 – 29 January 2025) was an English Association football, footballer who played as an Inside forward, inside or Forward (association football)#Outside forward, outside left. Born in Salford, Greater Manchester he mad ...

(born 1939), professional soccer player * Norman Haycocks, Professor of Education at the

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from 1946 to 1973 * Mark Hendrick (born 1958), Labour politician * D. G. Hessayon (born 1928), gardening author *

Peter Hook Peter Hook (born 13 February 1956) is an English musician. He was the bassist and co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division and its successor New Order. He often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings wi ...

(born 1956), musician * Sir Ralph Kohn (1927–2016), pharmacist *

(born 1943), film director * Harvey Lisberg (born 1940), talent manager and impresario * Michael McKinnell (1935–2020), architect * John Pitt-Brooke, Director-General Secretariat at the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

* James Porter CBE, Director General of the

Commonwealth Institute The Commonwealth Education Trust was a registered charity established in 2007 as the successor trust to the Commonwealth Institute. The trust focuses on primary and secondary education and the training of teachers and invests on educational pr ...

from 1978 to 1991 * Tom Price (1902–1973), Labour politician * David Quinn (born 1959), artist * Harold Riley (1934–2023), artist * John Maurice Shaftesley (1901–1981), journalist * Richard Austin Spencer (1892–1956), Conservative politician * Bernard Sumner (born 1956), musician with

Joy Division Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...

and New Order * Lister Tonge (born 1951), clergyman * Leslie Wagner (born 1943), economist, Vice-Chancellor of

Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The univer ...

and the

University of North London The University of North London (UNL) was a university in London, England, formed from the Polytechnic of North London (PNL) in 1992 when that institution was granted university status. PNL, in turn, had been formed by the amalgamation of the No ...

"Wagner, Prof. Leslie (born 21 Feb. 1943)" in '' Who's Who 2008'' online edition, accessed 21 October 2023 * Jim Wallwork (1919–2013), first Allied soldier on French soil on 6 June 1944 * Graham Ward (born 1955),

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at the

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"Ward, Rev. Canon Prof. Graham John (born 25 Oct. 1955), Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, since 2012; Fellow and Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, since 2012" in ''

Who's Who A Who's Who (or Who Is Who) is a reference work consisting of biographical entries of notable people in a particular field. The oldest and best-known is the annual publication ''Who's Who (UK), Who's Who'', a reference work on contemporary promin ...

'' online, accessed 21 October 2023 *

Peter Boyle Peter Lawrence Boyle (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American actor. He is known for his character actor roles in film and television and received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. ...

(born 1954), journalist (ret). Sunday Times Football Editor, Daily Express Asst Sports Editor. *

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is a British and American musician, singer and songwriter. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills ...

, musician. Member of the 'Hollies', 'Crosby, Stills and Nash'

Notes

External links

"Salford Grammar School Photographs"

University of Lincoln The University of Lincoln is a public university, public research university in Lincoln, England, Lincoln, England, with origins dating back to 1861. It gained university status in 1992 and its present name in 2001. The main campus is in the hea ...

LifeTimesLink 2004/05
History of Salford Grammar/Technical High School at pages 4–5

- alumni association for Salford Grammar School {{Schools in Salford 1973 disestablishments in England Defunct grammar schools in England Defunct schools in Salford Educational institutions disestablished in 1973