Page 3 - Education In Redditch

The HISTORY of REDDITCH New Town

Education In Redditch

As Redditch entered its period of change as a result of being designated a New Town, Education
in Redditch during this period was a time of change and upheaval. This was caused by national
changes brought in by successive governments, decisions made locally by the Local Education
authority (LEA), changes in the birth rate and the coming of the New Town. From two periods
of expansion in the number of schools, Redditch moved into a period of contraction and
consolidation which meant some very difficult decisions had to be taken: several much-loved
schools would have to close.

Even before 1964 the provision of education in Redditch had undergone several major changes.
Following the 1944 Education Act there had been a need to provide education for all pupils up
to the age of 15. Before 1944 the schools in Redditch were All Age Schools, except for the County
High School on Easemore Road - opened in 1932 - which provided for students who passed an
entry examination. The Worcestershire County Education Authority had to build a number of
Secondary Modern Schools to provide an adequate education under the terms of the 1944 Act.
There was, therefore, a major building programme from 1948 onwards both to reorganise on
Primary and Secondary lines and to meet the needs of the post war increase in the birth rate.
The first new school to open was Bridley Moor in Batchley, opened in 1952, followed by Lodge
Farm (Studley Road), the Ridgeway (Astwood Bank), and Walkwood (Headless Cross). These
provided between 400 and 600 places each. The existing County High School was expanded
into an 850 Bilateral Grammar/Technical School while several new primary schools were built
in the estate areas around the town.

By 1964 Worcestershire County Council operated nineteen educational establishments: twelve
primary schools, six secondary schools (including Woodrush in Wythall) and the Redditch College
of Further Education; of these, eleven were schools built since 1945.

The education system was based on a two tier system of Primary Schools (age 5 – 11) and
Secondary Schools (age 11-15) with the County High School and Redditch College catering for
education after the age of 15.

With the announcement that Redditch was to become a New Town it became clear that there
would be a need for a further expansion of school places. It also provided an ideal opportunity
to design modern schools that fitted in with other buildings and spaces in the locality. It was
felt necessary that primary and nursery schools should be sited with direct access from footpaths
rather than roads which would improve the safety of children as they walked to school. From
an early stage it was decided that secondary education would be provided in five large schools,
but that some of the Secondary Moderns built in the 1950s would not be large enough or indeed
in the right place. The Redditch Development Corporation identified the sites of the schools but
it was the Local Education Authority that was responsible for building the schools

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