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The HISTORY of REDDITCH New Town

Why Do We Have a Three Tier System?

population had arrived leading to ad hoc arrangements and a further need for pupils
changing schools.

The secondary moderns that had been built in the 1950s became some of the Middle
Schools. Other middle schools were later built for the families moving into the newly
created housing estates such as Church Hill, Woodrow and Matchborough. However,
Bridley Moor School in Batchley became one of the new High Schools and was expanded
to accommodate the additional pupil numbers. The County High School became the Abbey
High School and Lodge Farm Secondary Modern moved into new buildings and was called
the Leys High School.
Central to the idea of the three tier system was the pyramid principle. Each High School
had a pyramid of First and Middle schools that fed into it. The pyramid consisted of half
a dozen or so First Schools that fed into two or three Middle Schools which then sent their
pupils onto one High School.

The theory was good but often broke down in practice. For example, with the opening of
Arrow Vale High School in 1976, it became clear that children attending the Church Hill
Middle School could not all go to their designated High School of the Abbey and that some
would need to travel to Arrow Vale. From 1977 onwards Arrow Vale took large numbers

Part of a brochure for the County High School.

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