Preparatory School/Kindergarten

[Girl Guide]

I thought I would have a look at the 1939 register to see what popped up.

I have found a Douglas G Morris born 1897, technical photographer living in Coleshill Road, Castle Bromwich.

Could he be the man who did the school photo?

[lavitaebella84]

Maybe she meant Gothic House....Are you from Birmingham, the accent might have something to do with it?? Not being rude..

Check this in case it's no longer a school

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/property/your-chance-converted-victorian-school-12264251

[Bearnan]

I wonder if the OP recalls the school being near Hodge Hill Common. I had a look at Castle Bromwich on Wikipedia (as you do  ). It says that a large house once stood between Chipperfield Road (that's off Coleshill Road) and Hodge Common. Could that have been the school. Now it's a grassed over corner position with flats set back. I wonder how many pupils the school had.

We moved to the area when I was a child in 1956/7, and I went to The Firs school for a short time until we moved again. I am just so curious as to the location of the school!

[Ruskie]

I wonder if the OP recalls the school being near Hodge Hill Common. I had a look at Castle Bromwich on Wikipedia (as you do  ). It says that a large house once stood between Chipperfield Road (that's off Coleshill Road) and Hodge Common. Could that have been the school. Now it's a grassed over corner position with flats set back. I wonder how many pupils the school had.

We moved to the area when I was a child in 1956/7, and I went to The Firs school for a short time until we moved again. I am just so curious as to the location of the school!

There is a house called “Moat House” in that vicinity, viewable on several old maps:

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/415500/289500/13/101329


Look at the 1953 map, Coleshill Road is quite long and there are any number of unnamed large houses which could have been a school.

There is a named “Nursery” on Coleshill Road at the junction of Hodge Hill Common. Maybe if you have a look on Google street view you might see something which looks familiar.

[Nic.]

Hi

This link should take you to schools in the Birmingham area including Castle Bromwich.  It’s rather long but you might see something you recognise, it’s searchable.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol7/pp501-548#highlight-first

Nic

[Bearnan]

That's a really interesting link Nic. I got a bit sidetracked at reading about schools my family must of attended.

Ruskie as you say there are plenty of big houses along Coleshill Road that could be used as a school. Perhaps this one is going to remain a mystery.

[Robert Taylor]

Thanks to all who have made useful suggestions to help in my search.  I will continue to follow up on those leads.  As a result of the suggestions I have carefully examined whether The Amberley school could have been related to "Guthlick House".  Unfortunately no!  The uniform is wrong and the dates are wrong.  Two positive things have emerged, however.  I have discovered that there is a St Guthlac - so this may be a possible spelling to the school name and I now recall a doctor's surgery either next door to the school or very close nearby.  As a scar on my forehead reminds me I was hit by a rising bench whilst at the school and had to have stitches in the wound.
The search continues.!

[Bearnan]

Not that this helps but I do remember the doctors surgery on Coleshill Road which closed several years ago. It was situated on the same side of the road as Amberley School but a fair distance away. The houses on that stretch of the road are big and I can well imagine another school being there.

There was another more recent doctors surgery right at the bottom of Coleshill Road which is now a nursery, opposite the Clock garage. I wouldn't have thought a school would have been there, but who knows.

I hope you manage to find your school eventually.

[Nic.]

I wonder if is a house name within your school you remember.  This may account for the tie.  I’m aware of a couple of schools local to me where the children have different ties according to which house they’re in.


Nic