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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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