St Philip's School
| St. Philip's R.C. Grammar School for Boys | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Hagley Road , , B16 8UF | |
| Information | |
| Type | Grammar school |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Catholic |
| Established | 1887 |
| Closed | 1976 |
| Local authority | (Birmingham) |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
St. Philip's RC Grammar School was a Roman Catholic grammar school for boys located on Hagley Road in Birmingham, England.
History
St Philip's was founded when two priests of the Birmingham Oratory took over an existing Catholic Grammar School in 1887. It should not be confused with the Oratory school, which was founded by Cardinal Newman in 1859 and later moved to Pangbourne, near Reading.
The school started in the Little Oratory on 19 September 1887 until the main building was completed on 13 December 1887. The longest-serving teacher in the school's history was Francis Thomas Leighton,who served as "Second Master" (Deputy Head) from 1911 until 1945, having served as Headmaster when the School was evacuated to Ludlow in 1941. His two sons, and later, grandson, also attended the school. FT Leighton finally left to found an independent Preparatory School, Leighton House School, serving as a "feeder" school for St Philip's, which functioned as a boys' Grammar until 1976. It was at the junction of the A456 and the B4124/B4532, situated between Chad Valley and Ladywood. This is covered by the Anglican parish of St. George's Church, Edgbaston.
Sixth form college
It became St Philip's College in 1976, an RC sixth form college with around 800 sixth formers. In October 1992, due to only 30% of the intake being catholic, the board of governors wanted to change it back to becoming an 11-16 boys' secondary school. The principal of the college at the time was Edward Picardo. The catholic governors wanted to move the college in collaboration with the C of E, resulting in the Hagley Road site closing in August 1995. It became a site of South Birmingham College from 1995.
Notable alumni
- J. R. R. Tolkien and his brother Hilary Tolkien - In 1902, the Tolkien family moved to a house in Edgbaston next door to the Birmingham Oratory and the school. Tolkien had been attending King Edward's School but was moved to Saint Philip's. Later, he won a Foundation Scholarship to King Edwards and returned to his former school.[1]
- Matthew Marsden - Actor
- William Slim - Between 1903 and 1910, William Slim attended St. Phillip's and King Edward's. As Field Marshall Slim, he served as the British Commander in Chief in Southeast Asia during World War II.[2]
- Paul Beard OBE (1901-89) - Leader of the City of Birmingham Orchestra from 1922-1932, of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 1932-1936 and of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1936-1962. Beard became Professor of Violin at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and also taught at the Royal Academy of Music.
- Squadron Leader Peter Latham, later Air Vice-Marshal[3], Station Commander of RAF Tengah from 1969-71
- Don Maclean - Light Entertainer and presenter of Crackerjack[3].
- Paul Leighton- Broadcaster and BBC Radio 2 Newsreader 1981-2000. [4],
- Eamon Duffy - Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge
- Patrick Gallaher CBE, Chairman of North West Gas from 1974-82, and of Wales Gas Board from 1970-4, and President of the IGasE from 1977-8
- Sir Francis Griffin, Director of the NEC from 1970-4 and 1976-80
- John Jenkins, Ambassador to Iraq since 2009
See also
References
- A History of St Philips, from Beginning to Beginning, Margaret Worsley, Wine Press, Tamworth, 1997, ISBN 1-86237-078-8
- ^ Friesen, Darryl (October 24, 1995). "The Tolkien Timeline". The Grey Havens. Retrieved 2006-03-13.
- ^ Janus, The Papers of Field Marshal Slim
- ^ a b A History of St Philips, from Beginning to Beginning, Margaret Worsley, Wine Press, Tamworth, 1997, ISBN 1-86237-078-8
- ^ ' A History of St Philips, from Beginning to Beginning' Margaret Worsley, Wine Press, Tamworth 1997, ISBN 1-86237-078-8