Bowdon - Altrincham Grammar School for Boys

Located on Marlborough Road in the leafy suburb of Bowdon, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (AGSB), has been a cornerstone of education in the area for over a century. What began as a bold vision in the early 1900s has grown into one of the UK's leading grammar schools.

At the turn of the 20th century, the residential suburbs of Altrincham, Bowdon and Hale and neighbouring areas like Timperley, Sale, and Knutsford were expanding rapidly but they lacked a dedicated grammar school. Judge Bradbury, a passionate advocate for education, led the charge to establish a high-quality secondary school in the area.

Thanks to the momentum of Balfour’s Education Act (1902) and Judge Bradbury’s tireless efforts, the school opened its doors on Saturday, 12 April 1912, as Altrincham County High School for Boys.  The new school was to be managed by an independent Board of Governors appointed by the Local Council, District Councils and the University of Manchester.

The school opened with just 57 boys and three teachers including founding Headmaster Mr. Laver, Mr Cawood and Mr Hamblin. Despite its modest size, AGSB quickly earned a reputation for academic excellence, particularly in science, maths, and classical studies.

The original building, designed by renowned architect Harry Beswick, was both practical and forward-thinking for its time. It was to be situated on a newly constructed road in Bowdon and included form rooms, a library, art and science spaces, a dining hall, and a gymnasium built to accommodate around 125 pupils.

Harry Beswick was educated at the Kings School Chester and trained with Chester architect Thomas Meakin Lockwood. He was appointed Cheshire County Architect in 1896 and architect to the Cheshire Education Committee in 1904 and during his tenure designed several public buildings in the area including schools, fire stations and constabularies.

Originally the school consisted of a two-storey block: on the ground floor there was an Assembly Hall, several classrooms, a Library and the Headmaster and Assistant Master's rooms. To the first floor there was a laboratory, more classrooms, an Art Room, dining room, kitchen and servery.

Outbuildings included the Caretaker's cottage, lavatories, bicycle shed, the Gymnasium and students had access to an asphalt inner playground which was open on two sides to playing fields extending to the brook.  R N Dore, in his history of the school, remarked that in levelling the ground the top soil was taken away leaving a surface of boulder clay which proved tricky for generations of groundskeepers to manage!

The school subsequently underwent significant changes and expansions from its opening in 1912 to accommodate an ever-growing number of students and the evolving curriculum.

By 1920, enrolment had soared to 211 pupils, stretching the school's capacity. A surplus army hut placed on the tennis court, originally used for manual training, was repurposed as a sports pavilion. Though “temporary,” this makeshift solution remained in use until the mid-1930s.

Despite economic restraints, particularly the Geddes Axe in 1923, which slashed public spending, AGSB continued to expand. A "semi-permanent" one-story building added new classrooms and cloakrooms.  These structures were designed to last just a few years but some were still being used decades later.

In 1925 further plans were submitted to extend the building to include two additional classrooms and a Manual Training Room (Woodwork), which was to be of permanent, red brick, construction.  The original woodwork room in the main building was divided to create another classroom and a library.

During the Great Depression, while construction slowed, more land around the school was acquired. By 1925, the County Authority had purchased a further four acres, and in 1935 another four and a half acres were added extending the school field to its present boundary at Heath Road.  Additional expansion took place in 1945 when two plots on either side of the existing buildings on Marlborough Road were acquired.

The only new construction was the Scout Hut in 1932, paid for through voluntary donations; this was a log hut with modern heating and lighting, built to the design of Mr. F. H. Brazier, a prominent Altrincham architect.

By the mid-1930s however, the school was back on the path to expansion. Plans were drawn up in 1935 for an extensive building programme and a new block opened in October 1938, featuring a grand assembly space (Coleman Hall) with a stage, green rooms, cloakrooms, classrooms, Music Room, Geography Room, History Room and the Dunkerley Art Gallery, named after Frank Brookhouse Dunkerley another renowned architect and Chair of the School Governors from 1913 to 1949.

The Second World War brought more challenges as AGSB opened its doors to evacuees during the war years. Demand for places also increased after the passing of Butler’s Education Act (1944), when the school leaving age was raised to 16 and schools were expected to ensure that children were provided with school dinners. Extensions to school buildings and recruitment of teaching staff were expected to be in place by April 1947.

Former specialist rooms like the art gallery and music room were converted into general classrooms to cope with the increased enrolment and a canteen, first proposed in 1949, was built in 1953 with space for 500 students.

A dramatic increase in birth rates during the post-war era, resulted in a large cohort of children entering the school system and the problem of overcrowding in the school continued into the 1960s and beyond.  In response to increased demand for places the school was once again earmarked for expansion, becoming a four form entry school with 750 pupils.  

An additional new science laboratory was approved in July 1959, followed by temporary timber, demountable classrooms installed in the early 1960s and the existing, overcrowded canteen was demolished.  Plans were laid for a modern northern block, which would include new science laboratories, metal and woodwork rooms, workshops, art studio, and a canteen. There was even talk of finally replacing the original gymnasium from 1912.

Despite budget challenges and red tape, expansion continued. As ever the Headmasters and Governors continued to work relentlessly to secure funding and permissions, often turning to voluntary fundraising to bridge the gap.

Today AGSB is a selective academy with over 1,200 students, including a thriving Sixth Form. It still champions its founding values: academic rigour, integrity, community service, and personal growth and remains a proud and dynamic institution.

Further research

You can find more building plans and archival records using the Trafford Local Studies catalogue

Sources

Bygone Altrincham, C Nickson 1935

The History of Altrincham County Grammar School for Boys 1912-1962 by R.N. Dore

Education in Cheshire, 1945-55, Cheshire County Council County Education Committee

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys: Making History, 1912-2012, G Murray.