| Birmingham’s quest for new building land
in the 1920’s soon overtook the lanes and remaining farmland that
characterised Acocks Green at that time and amid what was quickly to become
a vast building site, a location was decided upon for the proposed Dolphin
Lane Council School. The site chosen, central to the first area to be
developed, was on the in-filled moat of the original 16th century
Hyron Hall.
Hyron Hall Farm c. 1925
By the late autumn of 1928, when the building was nearing completion,
notice of this new Grade IV School was circulated by the City’s Education
Department inviting applications for the post of Head Teacher. Mr George
Harold Sutton was the successful applicant and was recommended for
appointment on the 27th November 1928. Miss D. E. Hale was
appointed Chief Assistant (now the Deputy Head Teacher).
With these appointments in place the Education Department formally
advertised the opening date of the school, which was to be Monday the 7th
January 1929, and the dates on which parents could apply for the places
available.
On the first of the designated dates for registering at the school the
names of 477 children were recorded for admission; on the following day a
further 133 children were registered. Of the total number requesting places
148 of the children were aged 5, 117 aged 6, 122 aged 7, 88 aged 8, 80 aged
9 and 55 aged 10.
The number registered was far in excess of the 432 pupils the school was
designed for but rather than refuse admission to any of the children it was
decided to group them into eleven classes each with approximately 55
children. However, as the school only had nine classrooms, two classes would
be taught in the Assembly Hall.
The letter confirming the offer of places, was sent to all the parents on
the 19th December, and requested them to –
‘provide for each child a slip of paper giving child’s
name, age and address. The children should bring these slips to school and
hand them over to their teachers…’
The same letter informed parents that the school hours
would be
Morning:
All children 8.50 am to 12 noon
Afternoon
Children 5, 6, and 7 years 1.50 pm to 4.00 pm
Children 8, 9, and 10 years 1.50 pm to 4.30 pm
Advertising the school
Where had all these families come from? Where were their
new homes?
Most of the children came from schools spread right across the city,
many of which were in clearance areas (Appendix 1), while others moved from
schools outside the city boundaries. One hundred and fifty seven different
establishments were recorded as ‘previous schools’ (Appendix 2) but
this was not the complete picture as more than ninety children were noted as
having come from Acocks Green Junior School or Acocks Green Infant School.
The records of these schools show that in most instances the children
registered were from families that had moved into their new homes before
Dolphin Lane School was ready for occupation and were, therefore, only
temporary placements.
The children’s addresses, registered on their admission,
indicated that rather than a concentrated development immediately around the
school, the whole area bounded by Fox Hollies Park to the south, Fox Hollies
Road to the west and Olton Boulevard East to the north was one huge building
site, with streets as far apart as Bretton Road, Pool Farm Road and
Hartfield Crescent being named by the families (Appendix 3).
The opening day was the 7th January 1929. Eight
teachers had been appointed to staff the school but because of the large
numbers registered for admission four supply teachers were also made
available.
What a sight it must have been as the majority of parents
assembled in the playground with their children to be -
‘instructed by the Head Teacher as to the method of
procedure’.
By 9.15am the parents had dispersed and by 10am all the
registers had been marked. They showed that 585 of the 610 applicants had
‘presented themselves’. Getting all the children into the building and
sorted into their classes in such a short time was either organisation at
its very best, or, as one might suspect, more akin to a military style
exercise. Whichever it was the operation was certainly viewed as a complete
success.
As far as possible the children were arranged in classes
according to their age but inevitably, with such a large intake and a
limited number of teachers, some classes had children of different ages in
them.
Class arrangements and numbers when the school opened
When the school Admission Register was completed Allen Artus, of Circular
Road was the first boy recorded and Cynthia Beddow, also of Circular Road,
was the first girl.
"‘The school as an educational institution had begun. A full report of
the opening was asked for by the Chief Education Officer"’
Dolphin Lane School 1929-59
Introduction – Goodbye Green Fields
and Country Lanes
Getting Started
Buildings – Meeting the Changing
Needs
The School Staff – Comings and Goings
A Broader Education – Talks,
Festivals and Visits
Concerts and Performances – A Chance
to Show Off
Christmas Celebrations
Royal Occasions – Visits and Celebration
Holidays
Physical Activities – Athletics, P.T.
and Games
Fund Raising – Helping Others and
Supporting Ourselves
Medical Matters – The Doctor, The
Dentist and the ‘Nit’ Nurse
Accidents and Misfortunes – Cuts,
Bruises and Even Worse
Transgressions – Naughty,
Naughty!!
The Air Raid Shelter Saga – Keeping
the Children Safe
Evacuation – From Birmingham to the
Countryside and Back
Appendix 1 Birmingham Educational
Districts & School Lists
Appendix 2 New Pupils’ Previous
Named Schools
Appendix 3 Sketch Map of the Local
Roads Housing Dolphin Lane Pupils
Appendix 4 Memories – Dennis Simons
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