Sixth Form Block, 1972

Sixth-Form Block, 1972

The raising of the school leaving age to 16 in 1972 resulted in St Gregory’s undergoing further extension, taking the form of a single-storey block on the far part of the playground near the flats.

The following is an extract from The Catholic Building Review For 1972, which gives interesting details about the project:

“With the increasing numbers of children staying on at school into the fifth year and also the lack of suitable accommodation in the main school, the building of a special fifth form centre was essential.

The type of plan for the centre was decided to give the school a multi-purpose self-contained unit, useful by day for group work, team teaching, various types of interviewing, work in small tutorial groups and recreation; by night it could be used for parents and boys as a place for meetings, films, discussion groups, social gatherings and community activities.

The plan includes a large common/projection room with a small snacks-kitchen surrounded by tutorial space in the form of two larger seminar rooms, two tutorial rooms and a tutor’s room. The tutorial rooms are carpeted and suitably furnished to give them a warm and less utilitarian atmosphere.

The unit is built in a propriety-prefabricated structure, independent of the main school. The heating is in the form of a low-pressure hot water system with radiators and electrically operated fan convectors, operated by gas boiler. Work on the building commenced in April 1972, and was completed in September 1972. The cost of the project is £19,000.”

Note the phrase “building of a special fifth form centre”. The original design was based on the Ministry of Education’s plan for non-academic pupils but the building was used by the sixth form at St Gregory’s. Just before its erection, the grant was reduced considerably and the plans had to be amended resulting in part of the intended building being cut out.  Following its opening, the building was always referred to as the sixth-form block. 

Paul Carter (1966-73), an upper-sixth student at the time and one of the first to use the new facility in September 1972, has provided the following observations:

• The entrance was to the side, adjacent to the ATC base.

• There were about three main classrooms and a smaller room for teachers, storage etc.

• The large open area was used more as a common room with some comfortable seating and low tables. We used this area for various events such as meetings of the St Vincent de Paul Society with the girls from St Joseph’s High School.

• The kitchen was very limited with cooking equipment and was used to heat and serve rather than to actually cook meals.

• Food was very limited but soup and bread were always available. Food was brought over from the main school canteen usually by two ladies who also acted as servers.

• Some students brought sandwiches or went out to one of the many ‘chippies’ nearby.

• The building was much lighter and airier than the old school. The rooms were carpeted with light brown carpet tiles which seemed luxurious compared to the old school. It was brick with large glass windows and a flat roof which may have been some form of wooden board with felt over.

• There were toilets.

• There were no vending machines.

• Each student had a locker for which they were given a key. A spare set was held by the school (with Mr Neilson).

• The teachers used to come to the block rather than the students having to go to the main school for lessons – except for lessons requiring specialised equipment.

• Being in the sixth-form block meant that the students rarely saw any teachers who were not used to dealing with the sixth form.

• It was also the era of very long hair and we were asked to get it cut a number of times although I have to say that our sixth-form teachers were generally quite relaxed about it.

• Sixth formers were given free access to the sports hall next door to the Apollo cinema. This was the old drill hall and we used to play five-a-side football there as well as badminton and squash.

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