Grammar School Status, 1969

Grammar School status, 1969 

At some point in 1969 a letter written on behalf of the governors was sent to the Chief Education Officer proposing that the school should be upgraded to grammar status. Whilst not having seen the evidence for their proposal, it would be fair to assume that the governors drew attention to the scholarship of the pupils as listed under the headings of General Certificate of Education at Ordinary and Advanced Levels on the programmes of Speech Days throughout the 1960s, together with places at universities and colleges across the country. Of course, the timing of this initiative coincided   with the recent opening of two other newly built boys’ grammar schools and St Gregory’s may have felt it deserved equal status.

The Chief Education Officer informed the headmaster in a letter dated 16th June 1969 that the Manchester Education Committee “has now agreed with the Governors’ proposal that St Gregory’s R.C. Technical High School for Boys should be re-named ‘St Gregory’s Grammar School’ ”. 

The MEC sent a letter dated 17th June 1969 to the Department of Science and Education giving information about the proposed upgrading to grammar status. An official from the Department sent the following reply five months later on 11th November 1969:

“Sir

With further reference to the [Manchester] Authority’s letter of 17th June, 1969, I am directed by the Secretary of State to say that in the light of the information now at his disposal, he would raise no objection to the change of the name of the St Gregory’s Roman Catholic Technical High School for Boys to St Gregory’s Grammar School.”

Following the letter from the CEO dated 16th June, it would appear the school wasted little time in adopting its new-found status. The front cover of the Speech Day programme of 18th July 1969 displays the name ST GREGORY’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL for the first time. This was no doubt a proud moment for everyone associated with the school.

However, it is fair to speculate that the ratification of the change by the Department of Science and Education in November must have been received with a sense of relief as well as joy.

For the record

The school’s name at various times was as follows:

• St Gregory’s R.C. Central School For Boys,1923-54

• St Gregory’s R.C. Secondary Technical School for Boys, 1954-58

• St Gregory’s R.C. Technical High School for Boys, 1958-69

• St Gregory’s R.C. Grammar School, 1969-77

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