The Christian Brothers School was a school in the

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. The school was a

technical school In the United States, a technical school is a type of two-year college that covers specialized fields such as business, finance, hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, visual arts, information technology and community work. Associa ...

in the 1930s and in 1950 became the ''Gibraltar Grammar School'' until

comprehensive education Comprehensive may refer to: *Comprehensive layout, the page layout of a proposed design as initially presented by the designer to a client. *Comprehensive school, a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement o ...

was introduced in the 1970s. The building was then home to the Sacred Heart Middle School but was no longer run by the

Congregation of Christian Brothers The Congregation of Christian Brothers ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Christianorum; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. Their first school was opened in Waterford, Ireland, ...

. In July 2015, the Sacred Heart Middle School became the Saint Bernard's Middle School and moved to a different location. The building was renovated and now houses Prior Park School, Gibraltar's first co-educational, Catholic independent secondary school. Prior Park School is the fourth school in the Prior Park family, the other three being located in Bath and Wiltshire, UK.

History

It had its origins when the Christian Brothers arrived in Gibraltar on 28 October 1835 and set up a school there. When the Brothers arrived on the

Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, some 260 pupils were dependent upon a mock school set up at Gunners' Parade, and reported that the children were "extremely ignorant, without any knowledge of the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

, thus making it next to impossible for the Brothers to use their English textbooks for their instruction." Others reported that the real reason was that the brothers could not speak Spanish and the children had not learnt English. This new school was to be a Catholic School unlike the public one in

Flat Bastion Road Flat Bastion Road is a road in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. The road runs north–south, providing views of the city and Bay of Gibraltar. Previously known in Spanish as ''Senda del Mo ...

and the Methodist School run by

William Harris Rule William Harris Rule (born 15 November 1802 – 1890) was a British Methodist missionary and writer. Rule and his wife started schools building to 400 pupils in Gibraltar. He tried to establish missions in Spain. Life Rule was born in Penryn in ...

and his wife. The Christian Brothers were always associated with the building at Sacred Heart Terrace which was originally constructed in 1884 with funds from the

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

and the

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. By 1891 the school building and the grounds had been extended. The "Line Wall College" (The old Hassans Building) was noted in 1930 for the education that it supplied to "well to do" children.Gibraltar Directory for 1930
accessed 8 May 2013 In 1950 the Gibraltar Grammar School moved to the Sacred Heart Terrace with the brothers still in charge and the building was extended in the 1960s. Comprehensive education was introduced in Gibraltar in the 1970s and the school eventually closed and the building was closed too in 1977 and abandoned. The brothers received the

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

on 25 June 1977, and left Gibraltar shortly after. They numbered only five at the time of their departure, but the Christian Brothers had educated generations of boys, and the people of Gibraltar showed their appreciation of the brothers through many ceremonies and celebrations. One newspaper headline read, "Selfless Service to Generations of Gibraltarians." Today the old building is refurbished and it is used by Prior Park School.Sacred Heart Middle School
, accessed 8 May 2013

References

{{coord, 36, 8, 20.47, N, 5, 21, 2.47, W, region:GI, display=title Schools in Gibraltar Congregation of Christian Brothers schools Educational institutions established in 1835 Educational institutions disestablished in 1977