Langley High School (Oldbury)
Encyclopedia
Oldbury Grammar School, later known as Langley High School, Oldbury High School or Oldbury College of Sport, was a secondary school located in Oldbury
, West Midlands
, England
. It served the Warley (Smethwick, Oldbury, Whiteheath) area of Sandwell (West Bromwich and Warley) and was situated in Moat Road, Langley. It was east of the M5
, between Oldbury and Smethwick.
In 1929, local glass artists Tom Stokes and Bill Pardoe created a window for Oldbury Grammar's main school hall as a memorial to the Old Boys of the school who died in the 1914 war. It consists of eight lights with the allegorical figures of Justice, Courage and Fortitude and with extracts from the story of the Peloponnesian War, specially selected by Mr Willis Bond, that great figure in Worcestershire education of those days. Around the same time, money was raised for a multi-pipe church-style organ. "I Vow To Thee My Country" became a regular fixture of morning assembly.
The school motto was Cresco (I Grow) and former Grammar school pupils are known as "Old Cresconians".
Serving a mainly working class area, the school acted as a bridge to University education and a career in the professions. A thriving Sixth Form, lost when the school changed to a comprehensive in 1974, saw many pupils attain sufficient quality A levels to attend Russell Group
universities and gain social mobility.
A history of Oldbury Grammar School 1904-1974 was written by former history teacher at the school Mr A.A.L Pearce and published in 1979.
As a selective Grammar with open entry dictated only by academic ability at 11+ rather than the ability to afford school fees, the school not only promoted similar levels of academic excellence to that of private schools but adopted many of their trappings including a House system, winter and summer school uniform (which included distinctive striped blazers and straw boater hats for girls) and a school song which drew on the working class roots of the area.
in Smethwick and Rowley Regis Grammar School in Rowley Regis On becoming a comprehensive, the school marked the move away from selective intakes with a name change to Oldbury High School and a smaller, more localised, catchment area . The name change coincided with the Warley
(which included the school and Oldbury, Smethwick
and Rowley Regis
) and West Bromwich county boroughs merging to become known as Sandwell
. Oldbury High School merged with comprehensive Albright High School in September 1983 to become Langley High School.
, when a mere 16% of GCSE students attained 5 or more 'A' to 'C' grades compared to 95%+ of pupils gaining 5 or more 'O' Levels at grades 1-5 (A-C) when the school held Grammar status and a majority successfully passing 8 'O' Levels.
However, the school later merged with nearby Warley High School (Oldbury Tech), becoming Oldbury College of Sport and it was announced that Bristnall Hall Technology College (formerly Bristnall Hall Secondary School) was to be rebuilt on the Moat Road site, with the relocation expected to take place during the early 2010s.
The merger took place halfway through an academic year, which meant that Langley High closed its doors for the last time in December 2006.
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It served the Warley (Smethwick, Oldbury, Whiteheath) area of Sandwell (West Bromwich and Warley) and was situated in Moat Road, Langley. It was east of the M5
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
, between Oldbury and Smethwick.
Oldbury Grammar School
Oldbury Grammar School originally opened as Oldbury County High School in 1926, situated next to Barnford Hill Park in Langley Green following the transfer of Oldbury Secondary School, founded in 1904, from Flash Road, Oldbury. In 1944, following the new Education Act, the County High, originally co-opting its location within Worcestershire, became Oldbury Grammar School.In 1929, local glass artists Tom Stokes and Bill Pardoe created a window for Oldbury Grammar's main school hall as a memorial to the Old Boys of the school who died in the 1914 war. It consists of eight lights with the allegorical figures of Justice, Courage and Fortitude and with extracts from the story of the Peloponnesian War, specially selected by Mr Willis Bond, that great figure in Worcestershire education of those days. Around the same time, money was raised for a multi-pipe church-style organ. "I Vow To Thee My Country" became a regular fixture of morning assembly.
The school motto was Cresco (I Grow) and former Grammar school pupils are known as "Old Cresconians".
Serving a mainly working class area, the school acted as a bridge to University education and a career in the professions. A thriving Sixth Form, lost when the school changed to a comprehensive in 1974, saw many pupils attain sufficient quality A levels to attend Russell Group
Russell Group
The Russell Group is a collaboration of twenty UK universities that together receive two-thirds of research grant and contract funding in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1994 to represent their interests to the government, parliament and other similar bodies...
universities and gain social mobility.
A history of Oldbury Grammar School 1904-1974 was written by former history teacher at the school Mr A.A.L Pearce and published in 1979.
As a selective Grammar with open entry dictated only by academic ability at 11+ rather than the ability to afford school fees, the school not only promoted similar levels of academic excellence to that of private schools but adopted many of their trappings including a House system, winter and summer school uniform (which included distinctive striped blazers and straw boater hats for girls) and a school song which drew on the working class roots of the area.
Comprehensive
The school became a non-selective comprehensive school in September 1974 when many of the former Grammar School teaching staff retired or left for posts in other schools and pupils seeking A level education left to continue education at new Sixth Form Colleges established at the premises of the former Holly Lodge Grammar SchoolHolly Lodge High School
Holly Lodge High School College of Science is a secondary school located in Smethwick, West Midlands, England.-Admissions:It is located on Holly Lane on the middle point between Smethwick and Oldbury, near West Smethwick Park and West Park Road less than a mile from the M5. There is also an...
in Smethwick and Rowley Regis Grammar School in Rowley Regis On becoming a comprehensive, the school marked the move away from selective intakes with a name change to Oldbury High School and a smaller, more localised, catchment area . The name change coincided with the Warley
County Borough of Warley
Warley was a county borough and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation, England, and geographical county of Worcestershire. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis Warley was a...
(which included the school and Oldbury, Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
and Rowley Regis
Rowley Regis
Rowley Regis is a town in the Sandwell metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county and a part of the Black Country in the United Kingdom. Being part of the Black Country, locals speak with the traditional dialect, though in a form regarded by many as the quickest and the hardest to...
) and West Bromwich county boroughs merging to become known as Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
. Oldbury High School merged with comprehensive Albright High School in September 1983 to become Langley High School.
Closure and merger
Plans were announced in 2006 to merge Langley High with nearby Bristnall. These plans coincided with the school finishing lowest of 18 secondary schools in SandwellSandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
, when a mere 16% of GCSE students attained 5 or more 'A' to 'C' grades compared to 95%+ of pupils gaining 5 or more 'O' Levels at grades 1-5 (A-C) when the school held Grammar status and a majority successfully passing 8 'O' Levels.
However, the school later merged with nearby Warley High School (Oldbury Tech), becoming Oldbury College of Sport and it was announced that Bristnall Hall Technology College (formerly Bristnall Hall Secondary School) was to be rebuilt on the Moat Road site, with the relocation expected to take place during the early 2010s.
The merger took place halfway through an academic year, which meant that Langley High closed its doors for the last time in December 2006.
Oldbury Grammar School alumni
- Allan Ahlberg, Children's Book Author. Writer of contemporary children's classics including "Each Peach, Pear, Plum", "The Jolly Postman" and "Burglar Bill".
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