Architecture
The building cost £50,000 and was designed by Philip Chatwin, a Birmingham based architect.
Chatwin’s design for the school, built in red brick with stone detailing, included ionic columns (one of three column styles used in ancient Greece) and a tiled roof. It also incorporated designated spaces such as a library, a school common-room, a gymnasium and a double-height, barrel-vaulted central hall.
The hall is home to ornate plasterwork, including the coat of arms of King Edward VI, bands of flowers and foliage and shields with lions. The hanging light fittings also feature metal foliage and fleur-de-lys emblems. King Edward VI’s monogram can be seen on the wrought iron entrance gates.
History
King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls opened on 14 September 1911, overseen by the Headmistress, Miss Nimmo, who remained in post until 1915. It was formed by the merger of three schools - Aston, Summer Hill and Bath Row - and initially taught 450 pupils.
During the Second World War, the pupils and staff were evacuated. They were sent to Worcester Girls’ Grammar School and on 3 September 1939, travelled there from Birmingham’s Snow Hill Station.
Although there were no air raids in Birmingham until August 1940, by April 1940 air raid shelters had been built at Handsworth and the school reopened. Many of the rooms on the ground floor and in the basement had their ceilings reinforced to make them bomb-proof and windows were covered with adhesive net to prevent flying glass.
A second evacuation to Coalville in Leicestershire took place in November 1940 and ended in July 1941. The school remained open on site for the rest of the war.
The school was built on an area of land that was originally surrounded by dense residential development. Housing around the school began to be cleared from the late 1950s and made way for new school buildings, including a dining block, new gymnasium and a science block.
Comments
Historic England Regional Director (Midlands), Louise Brennan said: “From the outside King Edward VI is a very impressive building but inside it contains what might just be Birmingham’s best kept secret with a breathtaking central hall. The quality and craftsmanship on display in the hall and throughout the building are testament to the value that our ancestors placed on education, and the pride they had in civic buildings.”
Tim Bridges, Conservation Adviser for the Victorian Society said: "The Victorian Society is delighted that one of Birmingham's finest Edwardian buildings, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls of 1911 has been granted listed status. It is excellent that the main building by local architect Philip Chatwin with splendid plasterwork in the school hall by G.H.Cox will be preserved for current and future generations of students and visitors to enjoy."
Listing
Listed buildings are buildings of special architectural or historic interest. The record of each listed building is hosted on the National Heritage List for England (also known as 'the List', or NHLE).
The NHLE is a publicly available, searchable database of entries containing information on England's designated heritage. There are over 370,000 entries for listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE).
Grade II* buildings such as King Edward VI grammar school are particularly important buildings of more than special interest. Around 5.8% of listed buildings are Grade II*.