References

Posts of Special Responsibility, 1952

A staff meeting, chaired by Mr Ted Corney, was held for the purpose of discussing proposed Posts of Responsibility. With there being no positive conclusion about the matter, Mr Rocca subsequently drew up a permanent scheme for the posts. After consulting with the Managers, Mr Rocca’s scheme showed each post and made a list in writing of the corresponding duties entailed. Henceforward the school would have clearly defined departments with a teacher responsible for the schemes of work, textbooks, reference books etc. in each subject. Briefly, the posts were as follows:

Mr Rocca also decided that he would take all responsibility for English.

At that time teachers were still referred to as “assistant teachers” because they assisted the head teacher.

Headship

Mr Thomas Fitzpatrick left the staff in July 1952 to become the first head teacher at St Columba’s Secondary Modern School at Round Wood, Wythenshawe. Having previously obtained a Master’s Degree at Manchester University, Mr Fitzpatrick later returned there as a senior lecturer in the Education Department.

Mr W. Kerr, R.I.P.

Sadly, Mr Kerr died in November 1952 having served the school for twenty-six years. He was 48. 

Advertising for teachers

Following Mr Kerr’s death, Mr Rocca proposed to reorganise the teaching of science. Mr Vickers was placed in charge and would be assisted by two teachers who would also teach mathematics. Mr Rocca noted that he proposed “to advertise for a man for general science and mathematics”. This, of course, was in keeping with the fact that throughout the Fifties the teaching staff was all-male.

Reclassification tests

New entrants to the first year were originally placed in classes according to their position in the Scholarship Examinations. After a number of weeks into the autumn term, it became clear that a number of anomalies were beginning to show and some reclassification was necessary. Mr Rocca arranged for tests to be held, usually in October, for the purpose of classifying the new boys. Following the results of the tests some reorganisation of the first-year classes took place.

School trip

Mr Rocca and five masters took a party of 76 boys for a week’s holiday to Belgium and Holland at Whitsuntide 1953. Throughout his time as headmaster, Mr Rocca travelled on many overseas school journeys as well as attending camps nearer home. On several occasions he was actually the ‘teacher in charge’.

“The Fortieth Man”, 1953

This play by Freda Collins was produced by Mr Terence Sheridan and Mr Jim O’Malley and performed by the drama group at the Central Library Theatre. 

Demolition

The Managers met and decided to authorise the pulling down of some of the old buildings at the side of the yard. The work was carried out in the summer holidays of 1953, although other buildings still remained and would continue to endanger the safety of the boys.

Medical matters

Medical examinations continued to be taken and nurses regularly visited the school for this purpose. Schoolchildren in the Ardwick area were sometimes referred for treatment to the Shakespeare Street clinic, which was housed in an old Victorian building situated between Stockport Road and Plymouth Grove. Accident and emergency cases were taken by ambulance usually to the Manchester Royal Infirmary and, on occasions, to Ancoats Hospital.

Everest ascent, 1953

Eighty-four boys from the fourth and fifth years, accompanied by five masters, visited the Free Trade Hall in October 1953 to hear a lecture given by Sir Edmund Hillary who, along with Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, had climbed to the summit of Mount Everest earlier in the year. The ascent was historic in that they were the first climbers confirmed as having achieved the feat. Another speaker was Mr George Lowe, an ex-teacher and friend of Mr Hillary’s from New Zealand. 

The following January 407 boys – virtually the whole school – accompanied   by their teachers visited the nearby Apollo Cinema to see a film of the Everest expedition, which had been led by John Hunt. The wonderful achievement of Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing in scaling the majestic Himalayan mountain would surely have been inspiring to many of the boys.

Coronation film, 1953

All forms, except those in the fifth year, attended the Apollo to see the film of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It must be remembered that the possession of a television set was something of a rarity at that time and few boys would have watched the event on the day. An additional attraction for the boys was the fact that the film was in colour.

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