Where was the former West Bromwich Grammar School?

The former West Bromwich Grammar School was at Lodge Road, West Bromwich, B70 8DY

 

In brief

The West Bromwich Municipal Secondary School was built in 1902 as the West Bromwich Institute at Lodge Road, funded by George Kenrick. The school was expanded several times, and later became a Grammar School in 1944. The actress Madeleine Carroll was a pupil here. The school moved to new buildings in Clarkes Lane in 1964. For a period from at least the 1990s to the early 2010s, the building was part of Sandwell College as the Hair Beauty and Holistic Centre. The college moved out in 2012 to a purpose built building on the West Bromwich Ringway. The building was empty until about 2018 when Ideal Travel Services took up a unit in the building.

West Bromwich Grammer School (April 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

West Bromwich Grammar School - history

Built as the West Bromwich Institute in 1902 on Lodge Road at the expense of George H. Kenrick (later Sir George Kenrick).

Between 1907 and 1909 the school premises of the West Bromwich Municipal Secondary School was extended

By 1919 there was 470 pupils, taking many children from outside of the Borough of West Bromwich, including from  Wednesbury, Tipton, and Bilston, but by the 1930s all the pupils came from West Bromwich.

The school became the borough's only Grammar School from 1944.

But the school moved to new buildings in 1964 on Clarkes Lane.

In 1969 the school became the comprehensive Menzies High School.

By 2009 the school at Clarkes Lane was Menzies High School Science College.

But had become The Phoenix Collegiate by 2011.

 

Madeleine Carroll

There is a blue plaque on the former school building for the actress Madeleine Carroll (1906 - 1987).

She gained her secondary education at the school here from September 1915 until July 1923.

She starred in over 40 British and American films including the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock classic 'The 39 Steps'.

She was awarded various medals for her wartime work in Europe while serving in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945.

West Bromwich Grammer School (April 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Sandwell College

The former Grammar School later became part of Sandwell College's West Bromwich Campus, and was the Hair Beauty and Holistic Centre until about 2012.

The college vacated all of their Lodge Road buildings for their new building on the West Bromwich Ringway at Spon Lane which opened in 2012.

West Bromwich Grammer School (April 2011). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

The building was boarded up between 2012 and 2018, when Ideal Travel Services moved into one of the units.

 

Sandwell Grand Masjid is in the building next door as of the 2020s.

Sandwell Grand Masjid (January 2024). Photography by Elliott Brown