School History

History of The Gilberd School

The school opened on 12 July 1912 in buildings on North Hill, Colchester. Originally known as ‘The Junior Technical’ school, it was initially open only to boys and drew its intake of students from very wide area. During the 1930s, the school became known as the North East Essex Technical College and School of Art. Under the Government’s tripartite educational reforms of the 1944 Butler Education Act, the school was re-designated as a selective technical grammar. In 1949 the school changed its name to ‘The North East Essex County Technical School’ and the first female students were admitted via the 11+ examination.

In 1957, the County High School for Girls (which shared the North Hill site) moved to new buildings on Norman Way where it remains to this day as one of Colchester’s two remaining grammar schools. At the same time, the school adopted the name ‘Gilberd’ after famous Colcestrian, William Gilberd (1544-1603). Gilberd (also incorrectly known as William Gilbert), was the “father of electricity and magnetism” and medical advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. The school was now called, ‘The Gilberd County Technical School’. The triple seaxes of the Essex standard were removed from the school crest and replaced by an heraldic eagle in gold. The new crest was designed by the school’s then Head of Art who drew inspiration from William Gilberd’s coat of arms. Gold therefore became the third school colour complimenting the bottle green and gules red to form the distinctive Gilberd tie.

In 1959, a new Technical College opened in Sheepen Way, the School of Art became a part of this and moved out. By 1961, the school was essentially a third academic grammar school in Colchester and the word ‘technical’ was dropped from the name. From that time, the school became known simply as ‘The Gilberd School’ which endures to this day.

Whilst The Gilberd School was the only co-educational grammar school in the town (with Colchester County High School for Girls and Colchester Royal Grammar School catering for boys), educational re-organisation in the 1960s and 70s aimed to end segregation by ability and convert all state funded grammar and secondary modern schools into the new ‘comprehensive’ system. In Colchester, The Gilberd School was earmarked for conversion.

A number of options were considered for The Gilberd School’s future. One included the controversial closure of the school in favour of a new larger establishment merged with St Helena School (at the time, a secondary modern situated very close to The Gilberd School’s North Hill site). Another option proposed and considered was conversion to a bi-lateral school. This would entail two forms of selective 11+ entry and a further eight forms of comprehensive entry. It is clear from the extensive records held in our archives that any attempt to change The Gilberd School’s selective status was fiercely contested by parents and local politicians. It would ultimately cling to its selective status for a further 10 years before change inevitably came.

During the 1970s, it was becoming clear that the Edwardian buildings on North Hill were no longer suitable for the growing school. With extensive development earmarked for the north of Colchester, a new campus would be developed in that area on farmland adjacent to Highwoods and Eastwood. The first buildings were opened by HRH Princess Alexandra on 27th May 1981. In reality however, students had been studying in the new buildings since the previous year and The Gilberd School was to remain a split site school until 1985. As the North Hill site was gradually wound down, the remaining students transferred to the Highwoods Campus. The final cohort of 11+ students left the school in 1986. In 1987, the old North Hill Campus was redeveloped and opened as the new Colchester Sixth Form College.

The Highwoods campus was of a contemporary design which today boosts excellent facilities (even if it does lack some of the charm of the old North Hill campus). Since the Highwoods campus was in a rural setting, students were drawn from a wide catchment including a significant number from Wivenhoe. From the early 2000s, the school has drawn its entire intake from the St Johns, Highwoods and Mile End, Langham and Boxted areas of northern Colchester.

Registers and other archive material dating back to 1918 survive in the school archives to this day with many on display so that current Gilberdians can share in their school’s heritage.

Recent Developments

On the 1st September 1993, the school’s Chair of Governors, Mr Jeremy R Lucas and the 8th Headmaster, Mr David J Rowe, incorporated the school into the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation. This act gave the school a significant amount of financial autonomy from the Local Authority.

Under the leadership of the 11th Headteacher, Mrs L. E. Exley, the school converted to academy status on 1st March 2012 and joined the Alpha Multi-academy trust in 2018 (with Colchester County High School for Girls, Manningtree High School and Home Farm Primary School).
Since the move to the Brinkley Lane site, The Gilberd School has been steadily developing its facilities as the population of the surrounding area grows. New teaching blocks and a state-of-the-art Performing Arts theatre were added in the early 2000s. A new subject block and third sports hall were completed in 2015 and most recently, a new art block was constructed (2022).

In 2021, The Gilberd School opened a new secondary school for north Colchester on its site. The Trinity School took its first intake of 120 students in September 2021 and is due to move to its new premises on farmland to the north of Myland in 2023.

School Colours

At the time the school adopted the name ‘The Gilberd County Technical School’, the uniform consisted of a bottle green blazer adorned with the Gilberd School crest (an heraldic eagle in gold). Ties (worn by both boys and girls) carried red, gold and green diagonal stripes. In 1986, the traditional green blazer became an optional item of uniform (at a time when many schools were relaxing their uniform policies) and a bottle-green V-neck sweater was worn by many in its place. The traditional red, gold and green stripe tie endured until 2013 when it was temporarily replaced with a black tie. Blazers were reintroduced in 1999 (albeit in black) and the traditional green, red and gold stripe tie was re-introduced for Prefects in 2017. Menzies tartan kilts are an optional item worn by many.

Headteachers

Mr. H. Wilson, Headmaster 1914-35

Mr. M. Garside, Headmaster 1935-42

Mr. E. Enoch, Headmaster 1942-53

Mr. R. Sprason, Headmaster 1953-67

Mr. J. Glazier, Headmaster 1967-71

Mr. K. Dodsworth, Headmaster 1971-72 (interim appointment)

Mr. C. Firth, Headmaster 1972-77

Mr. D. Rowe, Headmaster 1977-1994

Mr L Brazier, Headteacher 1994-1997

Mr P Freeman, Headteacher 1995-1997 (interim appointment)

Mrs V Cresswell, Headteacher 1997-2007

Mrs L Exley, Headteacher 2007 – 2024

Mr J Mitchell, Headteacher 2024 - Present

Summary of reports of the opening of the original buildings on the present (North Hill) site 1912
ESSEX EDUCATION COMMITTEE

This was officially opened on Friday 12th July 1912, the building was to house schools of science, art, commercial and domestic subjects as well as housing the County High School for Girls. The College was built because it was felt that the Albert School (now the Co-op Bank) was too small and not well enough equipped. The Essex County Standard of that week carried a long report on the opening of the College, which included a detailed account of the layout of the school, of which the following is a summary:

As now, the College was built over three main terraces, though in 1912 all three were grassed. The Lower Paddock was for the sole use of the Girls’ High. The other two terraces were grassed tennis courts which were not concreted over until the 1960s.

On the ground floor of the building was a carpenters’ and joiners’ room (now the Library) and nearby was a “pleasant” dining room for 80 or 100 pupils (this is now room 10,). What is now the Domestic Science room was also in 1912 a cookery room and there was a laundry room for use by both day and evening classes, (this is presumably room 5).

Also on the ground floor was an engineers’ drawing office (room 4) which had a wooden partition, dividing it in two. On the other side of the corridor was the lab for practical applied mechanics (room 3). The report glowingly describes the equipment for the room which included a 9.5 h.p. engine. It’s not surprising the room was probably the most expensive to equip at £500!

Upstairs on the first floor were the offices and committee rooms of the local Education committees (now staff rooms); The Assembly Hall; an advanced science lab, five classrooms and a common room for the Girls High (rooms 19 and 24). The present offices for the Heads and the Careers Room were the original staff rooms, ladies at the west end, gentlemen at the east. It is interesting to note that there were then two more rooms on the first floor than at present. This floor, the Girl High floor, was presided over by their Head, Miss M. Collins B.A.

In addition, during- the evenings it -.was used for evening classes for the Commercial School which taught subjects such as French, German, Typing and Book-keeping.

The second floor had a chemistry lecture theatre with fume cupboards, and a demonstration bench complete with gas and water laid on. This room (29), has hardly changed since 1912. There were also a physics/electrics lab and a dark room. The paper stresses how modern and well equipped the labs are, for example the electrics lab had three generators. On this floor there was also a needlework room and a building construction room. The Science supervisor was Mr. H.P. Wilson F.C.S.

The third floor was dedicated to the Art School whose Head was Mr. P. Moore Gordon A.R.C.A. The Standard said “One of the most striking features on this floor is the very wide corridor”, which could be used as a museum of sorts to display students’ work or works from South Kensington.

There were three main art rooms, the light in which was excellent which was enhanced electrically if needs be. The other rooms were an artistic crafts room (now a pottery room) and a clay modelling room (room 39).

Finally, the report does not omit the fact that the school was heated by hot water at low pressure and lit electrically throughout. Both of these things were quite remarkable at the time.