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King Edward VI Aston School is a selective, all-boys grammar school and specialist sports college. The school, designed by Birmingham architect J.A. Chatwin, opened in 1883 and is still, with additional buildings, located on its original site, in the
Aston Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre. History Aston wa ...
area of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England. The school is part of the
Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI The King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham is a charitable institution that operates two independent schools, six selective academy state schools and four non-selective academy schools in Birmingham, England. It was registered under the name Th ...
, which runs nine schools in Birmingham. Currently, Aston has 963 boys. The current headteacher is Matt Brady.


History

The King Edward VI Aston Grammar School was opened in 1883. In 1911, the girls' school moved out to a new building in Handsworth and merged with two smaller Foundation schools (Summer Hill and Bath Row). The whole Aston building was then used for boys. With the departure of the girls, the
Pyramus and Thisbe Pyramus and Thisbe are a pair of ill-fated lovers whose story forms part of Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''. The story has since been retold by many authors. Pyramus and Thisbe are two lovers in the city of Babylon who occupy connected houses. Their r ...
Wall (which had previously served to separate the boys from the girls) was also removed. King Edward VI Aston is the only school in the foundation that still occupies its original site. The original buildings are still in regular use, but there have been significant alterations and extensions. In 1963, the "New Building" was opened. More recently, the school has added a sports hall and a building to house the languages departments and has acquired the part of Frederick Road that formerly bisected the site. The 1963 building, now known as Douglas House (after a double-fronted Victorian villa that stood on the same site), has been extended and refurbished to provide four extra laboratories, a teaching kitchen, new classrooms for art, design technology and music, a conference room, a first aid room and offices. The extension was named the
Watcyn Thomas Watcyn Thomas (16 January 1906 – 10 August 1977) was a Welsh rugby union player who captained Wales in the early 1930s. Thomas was born in Llanelli and educated at Llanelli County School and at University College, Swansea. While still at scho ...
Wing, after a former Welsh Rugby International who taught at the school for 37 years. It was opened on 20 May 2008 by Bob Simpson, an Aston Old Edwardian (as former pupils are known) and
governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of the school. The school is currently building a new catering facility near the sports hall, and has already constructed a new car park at the top of Albert Road. The school also has a school song written in the late 1800s to commemorate the stature and honour of Edward VI.


Headmasters

Aston has had ten headmasters: *John Temperley – 1883—1894 (11 years) *Ernest W. Floyd – 1894—1912 (18 years) *Joseph Manton – 1913—1936 (23 years) *Leonard G. Brandon – 1937—1970 (33 years) *Dennis W. Hawley – 1970—1984 (14 years) *Neil W. Gamble – 1985—1991 (6 years) *Peter A. Christopher – 1992—2004 (12 years) *Colin Parker – 2004—2020 (16 years) *Amy Whittall – 2020—2021 (interim) *Matt Brady – 2021—present The average term for an Aston headmaster has been approximately sixteen years. The longest-serving was L.G. Brandon, who held the position for 33 years (one hundred terms).


House system

The
House System The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom. The practice has since spread to Commonwealth countries and the United States. The school is divided into subunits called "houses" and each student is allocated to o ...
within the school has a fundamental role in the school's structure. It was introduced circa 1908 and very quickly produced a marked improvement in sporting standards. There were four houses which, until 1945, were known by the names of the Housemasters. The first of these were Jones's (which became Floyd house), Higgs's (which became Temperley), Lane's and Fisher's. The last two became Manton and School, though which was which is not clear from the records. This could be quite confusing when the housemaster changed, so in 1945 the present system was introduced. From late 2009 until 2017, there were once more four houses, each of which took its name from a previous Headmaster at the school (i.e. Manton, house colour yellow, emblem a portcullis; Temperley, purple, Tudor rose; Floyd, blue (formerly brown), lion rampant; and Brandon, green, fleur de lis). Until it was ended in 1968, the fourth house was named School. From 2017, there is another house, Hawley, named after the headmaster from 1970-1984, Dennis W. Hawley. Its colour is silver and emblem is a shield. The houses compete against each other throughout the year, in both sporting and non-sporting events. The culmination of the year's sporting House achievements is represented by the presentation of the Hawkesford Trophy (for sports) and Tuck Trophy (for non-sports) to the successful Head of House.


Sports

Recognised as a Sports College, King Edward's Aston offers as many as 27 sports and specialises in a good number of them during afternoon games sessions for all Year 7-11 pupils. *
Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
(Main School Sport) - ''Autumn/Winter/Early Spring'' *
Hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
- ''Autumn/Winter/Early Spring'' *
Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
- ''Spring/Summer'' *
Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
- ''Spring/Summer'' *
Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
*
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
- ''Spring/Summer'' *
Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
*
Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
*
Table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
Sixth form pupils are offered the chance to take part in sporting activities during their games lessons. This has previously included undertaking conservation work at
Moseley Bog Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood Local Nature Reserve, formerly The Dell, is a Local Nature Reserve in the Moseley area of Birmingham, England, with an area of about 12 ha (29 acres). History There are burnt mounds on the banks of the Coldbath Brook, ...
. Every year, each house competes to win the Hawkesford Trophy and Tuck Trophy based on each house's performance in a variety of sports, starting in October with the cross country race involving a 1-mile lap around Aston Park located next door to the school, and academic events, such as House Drama, House Economics, and House Scrabble. Throughout the three terms, there are sporting events such as
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
,
badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
,
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
,
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
,
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
, rugby sevens,
tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
, and
hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
, and it all culminates to the end-of-year sports day at nearby
Alexander Stadium Alexander Stadium is a track and field athletics stadium in Perry Park, Birmingham, England. It hosted the athletics and opening/closing ceremonies of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Other events held there include the annual British Grand Prix ...
for Years 7-10.


Sporting visits

In July 2006, 35 rugby players and five staff completed a rugby tour of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Previous tour destinations have included
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. In the summer of 2009 a tour of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
was completed. Additionally, each year, a group of students, usually those studying for GCSE PE, spends one week a year at Ogwen Cottage in
Snowdonia Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Name and extent It was a commonly held belief that the nam ...
,
North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
. Here, they take part in outward bounds activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, orienteering and hill walking.


Music and drama

Music and Drama are both very active departments within the school.


Music

The Music department offers tuition in almost any instrument. All boys who play an instrument are able to join one of the many ensembles in the school, ranging from the Training Band to the
Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...
, which has recorded three CDs. While the school has its own
String Orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first ...
hosted by the infamous Davidson and
Concert Band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...
, it also has a joint
Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
with King Edward VI Handsworth. Every ensemble performs in at least one concert a year. Several of them, particularly the school Big Band, perform in many more. The department draws senior musicians from all ensembles to form pit bands for the school productions. Each year the department is host to the annual House Music Festival in which all boys in years seven to ten have the opportunity to show off their musical talents and represent their house. The competitors are divided into several categories, by year group and instrument. Each competitor can perform in as many solo categories as they are able, and in one ensemble. The performances are judged by a visiting adjudicator. Each year the department goes on tour and in July 1974 a number of musicians departed for Rhodesia. They met with and performed for Ian Smith and toured the country before coming under attack by the Zanu-PF on the train from Bulawayo to Pretoria. In July 2008, many members of the same bands departed on a tour to the Rhineland.


Drama

The Drama department has a range of extracurricular activities going on throughout the year. Annually, alongside the girls' school, King Edward VI Handsworth, Aston puts on at least one full school production. The location of the main school play alternates each year, with both schools hosting a number of smaller productions. In recent years, Aston has staged ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
'', ''
The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...
'', ''October's Children'', ''The Visit'' and
Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...
. Productions of ''Return to the Forbidden Planet,'' '' Little Shop of Horrors'', '' Grease'' and '' Fame'' have been staged at the girls' school with boys from Aston taking part. The combined Sixth Forms of Aston and Handsworth also stage a production of one of Shakespeare's plays once a year. The Drama Department also holds a House competition, in the form of the House Drama Festival. In recent years, the format has changed but the objectives are still the same. Each house holds a short production and competes against each other. A panel of judges decides which production was the best.


Festival of Cultures

For many, the highlight of the school year is the annual Festival of Cultures held in July, after all examinations have finished. The Festival aims to celebrate the broad diversity of cultures represented in the school community. It also provides students with opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities associated with individual cultures in workshops. Before 2005, the Festival of Cultures took place during afternoon school, and students attended one workshop. The Festival also continued into the evening, with students and their families, staff, old boys, and new students (set to join in September) invited. The evening consists of a programme of entertainment, based largely on the workshops from the day. There are also displays of art work and several food outlets, including a tea shop, a
barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...
and the International Food Hall. There are also several stalls, including, for the first time in 2006, a
Fair Trade Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and enviro ...
stall. However, the new format of the event sees students have a whole day off timetable, and all students in Year 7-10 attend three workshop sessions. Previous workshops have included
origami ) is the Japanese paper art, art of paper folding. In modern usage, the word "origami" is often used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of pape ...
, Bhangra dancing, magic,
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
and pizza making, amongst many more. Prefects and staff supervise individual workshops, whilst Senior Prefects oversee the smooth running of the event as a whole. Senior Prefects also decorate the quadrangle and piazza areas with flags and bunting to add to the festival atmosphere.


School officers and prefects

Each year, Aston has a
School Captain A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...
, a School Vice-Captain (or two/three Vice Captains) and a team of Senior Prefects who together help to run the school with the guidance of staff. The School Captain and Vice Captains are known as the School Officers. Every other student in Year 13 is a prefect, and approximately 20 are Senior Prefects. Each Senior Prefect leads a group of prefects in a variety of different tasks across the school including prefect duties and helping to organise events such as The Festival Of Cultures. Four House Captains are also appointed at the beginning of each year. 2018-2019 was the only academic year in which was no School Captain; instead, two Vice-Captains were elected. Research in the school's Archive Centre has so far found the names of 100 holders of the post, stretching back to 1910.


The Record

''The Record'' is the school magazine. It is published annually and highlights key events of the school year. Volume II can be traced back to 1910.


Old Edwardians

:See also '' :People educated at King Edward VI Aston School''. *
Ted Allbeury Theodore Edward le Bouthillier Allbeury (24 October 1917 – 4 December 2005) was a British author of espionage fiction. He served as an intelligence officer in the Special Operations Executive between 1940 and 1947, reaching the rank of lieuten ...
(1917–2005), British author of espionage fiction * Gary Allen CBE, CEO of
IMI plc IMI plc (), formerly Imperial Metal Industries, is a British-based engineering company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History The company was founded b ...
from 1986–2001 *
Walter Allen Walter Ernest Allen (23 February 1911 – 28 February 1995) was an English literary critic and novelist and one of the Birmingham Group of authors. He is best known for his classic study ''The English Novel: a Short Critical History'' (1951). ...
, literary critic * Jon Bounds, blogger and humorist * Commander Sir Edgar Britten, Commodore of Cunard White Star Ltd from 1935-6 * Sir William Brockington CBE, Director of Education for Leicestershire from 1903–47 * Gareth Davies CBE, Chairman of Glynwed International plc from 1986–98 *
Sir Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for his ...
- Conductor * Peter Fell, Teacher, social worker and author. * Ronald Graham Gregory Foley -
Bishop of Reading The Bishop of Reading is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford, which is within the Province of Canterbury, England. The current bishop of Reading is Olivia Graham (formerly Arc ...
from 1982-9 *
Bernard Ford Bernard Ford, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE, (27 September 1947 – 5 April 2023) was an English Ice dancing, ice dancer. With partner Diane Towler, he was a four-time (1966–1969) World, European, and Brit ...
MBE - With Diane Towler won four consecutive ice dancing world titles and four European championships in the 1960s *
Elliot Knight Elliot Knight is an English actor. He made his acting debut as the title character on the Sky1 action-adventure series '' Sinbad'' (2012). Continuing to work on television, Knight appeared as a series regular on the BBC One crime drama '' By Any ...
- British actor, best known for his role as Sinbad in 2012 * Derek J Lawden - Mathematician, Professor at Aston University, author of several books including one on space travel. * Joe Morris, rugby union player *
John Nathan-Turner John Nathan-Turner (''né'' Turner; 12 August 1947 – 1 May 2002) was an English television producer. He was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who''. He was also the final producer of the series' first ...
- ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' producer. *
George Painter George Duncan Painter OBE (5 June 1914 – 8 December 2005), known as George D. Painter, was an English author most famous as a biographer of Marcel Proust. Career Painter was born in Birmingham, England. His father was a schoolmaster, and his mo ...
OBE - Author - 1925 * Sir Leonard Parsons, President of the
British Paediatric Association The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, often referred to as the RCPCH, is the professional body for paediatricians (doctors specialising in child health) in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the postgraduate training of paed ...
from 1942–45 * Captain R. E. Phillips, VC * Henry Reed - Poet and dramatist *
Les Ross Les Ross MBE is a British disc jockey in the West Midlands. He was born as Leslie Meakin; 7 February 1949, in Birmingham. Early life and career Ross always wanted to become a DJ and, at the age of 11, wrote to the general manager of Radio Lu ...
MBE - Radio DJ * Sir
Maurice Shock Sir Maurice Shock (15 April 1926 – 7 July 2018) was a British university administrator and educationalist. Shock was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and later read philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) at Balliol College, Oxf ...
- Educationalist * Sir Harold Smith - Politician & Chairman, The Gas Council, Conservative MP for
Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
from 1910–22 * R.D. Smith - teacher, lecturer and radio producer * Sir
Ivan Stedeford Sir Ivan Arthur Rice Stedeford GBE, (28 January 18979 February 1975) was a British industrialist and philanthropist. Stedeford was chairman and managing director of Tube Investments (T.I.) and one of Britain's leading 20th-century industrial ...
GBE - Industrialist & Philanthropist, Chairman of
TI Group TI Group plc (formerly "Tube Investments") was a holding company for specialised engineering companies. It was based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was registered as ''Tube Investments'' in 1919, combining the seamless steel tube businesses of Tu ...
from 1944–63 * Sir Henry Thomas - Keeper of Books, British Library * Three Lords Mayor of Birmingham: Sir Ernest Canning; Sir Joseph Balmer; Sir Neville Bosworth. *
Nick Timothy Nicholas James Timothy (born March 1980) is a British political adviser. He served as Joint Downing Street Chief of Staff, alongside Fiona Hill, to Prime Minister Theresa May, until his resignation in the wake of the 2017 general election. ...
, former
Downing Street Chief of Staff The office of Downing Street Chief of Staff is the most senior political appointee in the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, acting as a senior aide to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The holder of the office retains a ...


References

* Alison Thorne, ''King Edward Grammar School for Girls, Handsworth 1883–1983'', 1983.


External links


School websiteAston Old Edwardians
{{DEFAULTSORT:King Edward Vi Aston School buildings completed in 1883 Grammar schools in Birmingham, West Midlands Educational institutions established in 1883 Boys' schools in the West Midlands (county) 1883 establishments in England Academies in Birmingham, West Midlands