Kings norton boys schol

Where are they now? Members Past. Sponsored Prizes. Old Boys' Stories. Home About the Association Where are they now?

About Us. The Association Established in , the Old Nortonians' Association has stood the test of time, thanks to its joint aims of building a strong community of old boys, enabling them to socialise together on a regular basis and to keep up-to-date with the life and achievements of King's Norton Boys' School. Our 'Strive' values of Self-discipline, Teamwork, Resilience, Initiative, Vision, Endeavour underpin the work of staff and students, as does our commitment to the fundamental human values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, tolerance and kindness.

Our Purpose is To provide the highest quality education which allows all of our students to thrive academically and personally. By , King's Norton Boys' School is considered to be an outstanding school in all aspects.

We have a reputation within our community for enabling our students to flourish both academically and personally. Places at our school are highly sought after by parents and students. Joining our staff team is an aspiration for teaching and support staff and we are highly regarded within the profession for our ability to develop future leaders.

We are proud of the opportunities available to students at KNBS. Our curriculum is traditional, broad and rigorous, and opportunities for students to thrive in our enrichment curriculum are plentiful. At KNBS every child has the opportunity to succeed, and every child is stretched and challenged in order for them to develop and then fulfil their potential.

Recent examination results demonstrate the high standards of academic excellence for which we continue to strive. In addition we encourage boys to develop their talents in outdoor education, sports, music and the arts. When boys leave KNBS, we want them to be well rounded, confident individuals, with the skills needed to succeed in the next stage along their chosen path.

We want them to have personal, social and global awareness; an understanding of both the opportunities and challenges presented by the world, and the tools and confidence to embrace both as they encounter them.

James retired at Easter and so ended what could be called the first chapter in the School 's history. Reynolds, a first class hon our s graduate in Physics of London University. Reynolds came to the school from the then Central Secondary School where he had been Headmaster for a number of years.

This school was housed in the same building as the Technical College in Suffolk Street and conditions were very difficult.

The new headmaster was pleased to be in a school where the buildings actually belonged to the school. The first was the introduction of the prefect system of which he wrote in a subsequent issue of the school magazine, they have carried out their new duties with ability and discretion, and their assistance is appreciated by the staff. The second notable innovation, at that time, was the organisation of the school into houses. The se, Greves, Jervoise, Lyttleton, Middlemore and Mortimer were named after distinguished families who had, during the years, developed strong connection with King's Norton and Northfield.

Many societies were formed. Welburn and Mr. The dramatic society was formed on a much larger scale; a cyclorama was built into the back of the stage and an efficient switch board and lighting system were installed by members of the staff and boys.

Roach and Mr. Cole respectively. A Parent-Teacher Association was formed in and in a Jubilee Pavilion was built on the school field; the cost of this was borne jointly by the Education Committee and the School. Dunn, vicar of King's Norton , and the address was given by the Ven. This service became an annual one. In July, , the school obtained its first state scholarship through R. Stanford who subsequently went to Christ's College, Cambridge.

At Easter , the school became King's Norton Grammar School for Boys Later in the same year war was declared on Germany and so ended another phase in the school's history.

Many staff and boys will always remember Friday, 1st September , the day that the school was evacuated to Gloucester. As a short magazine report so well expressed it at the time - The pelting rain of the morning; the hot sunshine of the afternoon; the foreboding tin hats of the King's Norton A.

We were not made particularly welcome by the Crypt School but all made the best of it. Many will recall the spectacle of the Severn Bore, the school's invasion of The Plaza Cinema where the film The Mikado was shown, our lessons in the afternoons only, the commemoration service held at Gloucester Cathedral, our visits to Painswick Beacon and so on.

However the evacuation was short-lived; the school returned to Birmingham in March in time for the bombing which occurred later. During lessons were interrupted from time to time by air raid warnings and an orderly procession moved to the air raid shelters which had been erected. Pigs were fed and slaughtered at the appropriate time. Some of the pork was distributed to the shareholders in lieu of dividend whilst the rest was sold to The Meat Control Board.

Frank Waltew, the chief grounds man of the Birmingham Education Committee. The school was the headquarters and much of the work normally carried out at Initial Training Wings was now done by the A. A very high standard was reached by the cadets and many will recall the winning of the Wing Cup, Church Parades, camps at Tern Hill and Hereford and many other occasions.

From July and continuing for about f our years, successful Harvest Camps were held at Offchurch, Near Leamington. The local cricket pavilion provided the headquarters and tents were erected on the field. Brian Hindle. After the war, life gradually returned to normal. Functions were again held at the school and societies were reformed.

Prefabricated classrooms were erected in the east playground in about and they were of great help although their heating was always a s our ce of trouble. Cooling was elected a judge at the 14th Olympic held in at the White City; this was a great honor for the school. Welburn designed the War Memorial to old boys who had given their lives in the first and second world wars.

This was dedicated by the Ven. Wright, the second master of the school, who was at the time the president of the Old Norton ians Association and who had done so much to keep the Association together during the war years. Many old boys will remember with pleasure Messrs. Richardson and Brooks from Bristol, The glori- ous bathing and the many incidents which made our holidays there so delightful. In December , Mr.

Wright retired and was succeeded as Deputy Headmaster by Mr. In January , Mr. Reynolds, the Headmaster was awarded the O. He himself insisted that this was an hon our , not for himself, but for the school. However in addition to his arduous duties as a headmaster, he was a devoted educationist and had done much for the teaching of general science.

He was a member of the committee and a past chairman of the City of Birmingham choir and a governor of Saltley Training College. He thus richly deserved this great honor in his own right. At Easter , many new building changes took place at the school, changes which Mr. Reynolds had asked for when he first came to the school in New cycle accommodation on the east field.

The Art block was built. The old art room was converted into a library. The old library was converted into an of fice. The old of fice became the second master's room. In the school acquired a motto which had hitherto been lacking: Humani semper contendimus. We, being c our teous, sympathetic and understanding,constantly strive. Reynolds was succeeded by Mr. Sheen was an open scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he gained first class hon our s in Mathematical Moderations and in the Final Hon our s School of Mathematics - with distinction in atomic structure.

He had been senior mathematics master at Wolverhampton Grammar School and head of the mathematics and science departments at Bromsgrove School. He had been a very active scout leader and he had strong interests in music, school orchestras and dramatic societies. He was an active member of the congregational Church and he had a growing interest in philosophy.

Above all he was a most able and enthusiastic educationist with a tremendous capacity for work. Sheen's task was a very difficult one at the time of his appointment since the number of boys in the school was steadily growing each year. In the early 's, the peak was reached when the number was and conditions became most difficult; boys were entered for A level.

The acquisition of Brunnaker House was a great help but not altogether suitable, However progress continued to be made, a fate was organised by the Parent-Teacher Association as a result of which the school obtained its own electronic organ. Later an excellent gymnasium was built, the old gymnasium became a new dining room and arrangements were much improved.

Through the efforts of Mr. Sheen, the school forged a link with Solesi through the person of Neil Nkanza, boys have taken part in American Field Service and in Voluntary Service overseas. The Parent-Teacher Association also provided a sailing boat for the school and sailing took place on the Earlswood lakes. A little later Alderman Ernest Tye, J.

In Mr.