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Bradford citizens began thinking about a free grammar school (16th century). While schools were established for boys, there was still no secondary school for girls by the late-19th century. Parliament passed the Endowed Schools Act (1869) which was an important step in expanding the British education system. The Act helped to facilitate the foundig of many new secondary schools. W. E. Forster, the MP for Bradford, Mrs Byles and the Ladies’ Educational Association in Bradford raised £5000, a substantial sum of money at the time, to help found a girl's grammar school in Bradford. Girls’ Grammar School, Bradford was formally opened (1875). They opened the school in the already cramped Hallfield Road School. The first girls were the daughters of professional men and merchants in Bradford and wider Manningham area. The School was one of the first in Britain to include Physical Education as part of the curriculum. As was the case of many schools and British society in general, World War I was a turning point for British women. Women were mobilized for the war effort. Women as a result of men joining the military became a much larger part of the industrial work force.
Women including Bradford Old Girls served as doctors and nurses at home and on the front lines. School life did not chanbge much, but the girls pitched in by knitting socks for servicemen, making sandbags, collecting moss for dressings, and sending parcels to prisoners of war. The school also took in and supported Belgian refugees--a major international humanitarian effort. After the War a new building was found for the Preparatory Department which included boys (1929). After cosiderable planning a new spacious purpose built school was opened (1936).
During World War II part of the school was af first evacuated to Settle, but when the Luftwaffe did not immediately attack, the girls returned to Bradford. The city did not entirely escape Luftwaffe attacks when the Battle of Britain began, but its northern location meant that it was less vulnerable than cities to the south. The School participated in charity work. he preparatory (junior) schoolwas converted into a rest center for evacuated women and children from the indistrial cities targeted by the Luftwaffe. After the War, Britain began building a free state secondary system. Many grammar schools joined the state system, especially during the 1970s. The Bradford Girl's Grammar School decided to become a private (independent) school. Many boys' grammar and other private schools decided
to accept girls and become coeducational. The Shool has decided to remain a single gender school and points out, "the high position it has maintained in the school league tables has more than justified that belief".
England's academically selective secondary-level grammar schools sougth to emulate the ethos of the public schools. While they were not boarding schools, they did try to follow the academic trends and emphasis on sport at the public schools. For the same reason, many grammar schools put considerable emphasis on uniform, but for financial reasons, many of the boys could not afford the rather substntial outlays involved in the miriad of public school uniform items. Grammar school boys in the 1940s and 50s commonly wore caps and blazers. The younger boys at many grammar schools also wore short trousers. Some schools required it. At other schools it was the parents choice.
Bradford citizens began thinking about a free grammar school (16th century). While schools were established for boys, there was still no secondary school for girls by the late-19th century. Parliament passed the Endowed Schools Act (1869) which was an important step in expanding the British education system. The Act helped to facilitate the foundig of many new secondary schools. W. E. Forster, the MP for Bradford, Mrs Byles and the Ladies’ Educational Association in Bradford raised £5000, a substantial sum of money at the time, to help found a girl's grammar school in Bradford. Girls’ Grammar School, Bradford was formally opened (1875). They opened the school in the already cramped Hallfield Road School. The first girls were the daughters of professional men and merchants in Bradford and wider Manningham area. The fee was 12 guineas for a three term year. (free secondary schoolswould not become generally available util after World War II.) Sir Titus Salt and Mr Henry Brown provided some scholship so that academically taslented girls from less affluent families could attend. Many of the girls attended to prepare for the newly opening colleges in Oxford, Cambridge and London that accepted young women. The School was one of the first in Britain to include Physical Education as part of the curriculum.
As was the case of many schools and British society in general, World War I was a turning point for British women. Women were mobilized for the war effort. Women as a result of men joining the military became a much larger part of the industrial work force. Women including Bradford Old Girls served as doctors and nurses at home and on the front lines. School life did not chanbge much, but the girls pitched in by knitting socks for servicemen, making sandbags, collecting moss for dressings, and sending parcels to prisoners of war. The school also took in and supported Belgian refugees--a major international humanitarian effort. After the War a new building was found for the Preparatory Department which included boys (1929). After cosiderable planning a new spacious purpose built school was opened (1936). The Princess Royal meaning Princess Elizabeth, opened the new building. This substantilly chnged the learning environment. Instead of the old, dark and gloomy classrooms, the girls now had well lighted and spacious rooms. There was now a Library with Thompson ’mouse furniture’ tables and chairs, a gymnasium, a hall, art rooms, science laboratories and for the first time all kinds of space. During World War II part of the school was af first evacuated to Settle, but when the Luftwaffe did not immediately attack, the girls returned to Bradford. The city did not entirely escape Luftwaffe attacks when the Battle of Britain began, but its northern location meant that it was less vulnerable than cities to the south. The School participated in charity work. Many Old Girls served in the armed forces. The preparatory (junior) schoolwas converted into a rest center for evacuated women and children from the indistrial cities targeted by the Luftwaffe. After the War, Britain began building a free state secondary system. Many grammar schools joined the state system, especially during the 1970s. The Bradford Girl's Grammar School decided to become a private (independent) school. Many boys' grammar and other private schools decided
to accept girls and become coeducational. The Shool has decided to remain a single gender school and points out, "the high position it has maintained in the school league tables has more than justified that belief".
A grammar school is a secondary school with a program begining for children at about age 11-12. The Braddford Girms Grammar School had a junior school for younger children. At Bradford it was called a prepsaratory school. Rules in the junior school and the number of boys attending seem to have varied over time. Presumably boys only attended in the first fewe forms. A reader writes, "My wife had a scholarship to the Senior School, this is a Junior School Class. It was in my wife's photo album. I think one of the girls is her cousin Ada. She was a lot older than Jean. I think the photo was early-30s it could have been earlier. Jean was born in 1933. I used it really as an example of a boy at a girls' school." The image above shows a mix of boys anf girls (figure 1). The photograph found by our reader show only bny in the class andcthe girls are all meticulously uniformed.
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