AHGS The Hull Road Buildings

ARCHITECT: E. FIRTH, F.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I., City Architect

BUILDER: WM. BIRCH & SONS LTD., YORK

The school has been provided to give grammar school education to boys, and replaces the old school situated in the centre of the city. It is the first complete replacement of a grammar school to be built by the authority since the 1944 Education Act came into force.

The school site is three miles from the city centre at Badger Hill on the south side of the York to Hull road. It is outside the city boundary. The total area of the site is approximately 20 acres : one and a half acres along the Hull Road frontage are reserved for future road widening purposes, a site of 2 acres will accommodate a Boarding House and Headmaster's house at present in the planning stages, the school buildings occupy an area of three and a half acres and the remaining 33 acres provide the school playing fields. The school has been positioned on the highest portion of the site and has an open prospect overlooking the surrounding plajng fields, while many of the teaching rooms command fine views of the Wolds and Howardian Hills.

There is no direct access to the site from Hull Road, this being a condition of the planning authority at the time approval was given to the project, and in consequence it has been necessary to form the only entrance from an estate road of a residential development on the eastern boundary of the site.

A scheme of landscaping, providing flowering shrubs and trees, is to be completed in the coming planting season.

The plan in general consists of three main units, a three storey classroom and laboratory block, a two storey classroom block, and a single storey assembly hall, dining space, kitchen and gymnasium block. Two small detached single units provide workshops and a boiler house.

The three main units are linked by single storey buildings providing administrative offices, staff accomodation, pupil's cloaks, and library occupying a central position in the complete plan. This arrangement has produced a compact plan with a minimum of circulation space,but at the same the completed buildings succeed in giving a sense of spaciousness througout.

The assembly hall and the adjacent space have been planned on two levels, the main body of the hall being the lower. This arrangement allows the hall to be used with great flexibility. A fully equipped stage has been included in the scheme.

The changing rooms are situated so that they can serve the adjacent gymnasium, the assembly hall and stage and the playing areas and fields.

The woodwork and metalwork rooms have been built as a separate block to prevent the noiser activities from interfering with the formal teaching rooms. This block is linked to the main teaching area by a covered way. The latter forms the pupils' entrance to the school and leads directly into the cloaks area.

The buildings generally are reinforced concrete framed supported on reinforced concrete piles and perimeter beams with precast concrete floor beams and multi layer felt covered wood wool flat roofs. The infill panels of the concrete frame are of hand made sand faced brick, precast aggregate faced concrete panels and wood framed glazed screens with steel framed insert opening portions.

All the internal walls are of brick, as is the internal backing of the external cladding panels, finished in hardwall plaster.

Floor finishes of all classrooms, corridors, dining space and administrauve offices are of thermoplastic tiles, the laboratories are of composition block, the kitchen and laboratories are in quarry tiles and the assembly hall and gymnasium are of hardwood, that of the gymnasium being of a semi sprung construction.

The heating is by low pressure hot water which feeds convector type warm air blowers. The boilers are solid fuel fired by automatic stokers. The whole system is thermostatically controlled.

Electrical power points have been provided in all classrooms, and electrical and gas points have been provided in the handicraft rooms and laboratories, the latter having, in addition, low voltage electrical points.

There are fifteen dassrooms, all fitted with revolving blackboards, display panels and loud speaker points, each room having a separate store.

The woodwork and metalwork rooms are fully equipped with up to date machines and the necessary safety cut-out switches.

The laboratories have been equipped with purpose made fittings designed in collaboration with the Staff of the school. Fully equipped preparation rooms and stores adjoin each of the laboratories. Incorporated in the laboratory suite is a demonstration and lecture theatre.

The art room has specially fitted furniture and has a pottery alcove incorporated in the scheme. The music room is linked by a specially designed musical instrument store with the stage of the assembly hall.

The library adjacent to the main entrance has been provided with purpose made furniture to an approved design, as have the three division rooms which are adjacent to and form part of a complete Suite.

The administrative offices are close to the main entrance and include rooms for the Headmaster, Secretary, Senior Assistant Master, Staff, and a Medical Inspection Suite. These rooms overlook an internal decoratively paved court which includes planted areas and a small pool.

A fully equipped Kitchen adjoins the dining spaces, and is designed to provide meals for 450 pupils. Separate serveries are provided to each of the dining spaces.

The primary consideration in planning was the provision of adequate and satisfactory teaching accommodation. This has been designed to permit maximum flexibility in use so that the social as well as the educational requirements of a modern grammar school can be met.

ARCHBISHOP HOLGATE'S GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOUNDATION

24 OCTOBER 1546

Letters Patent were granted by King Henry VIII to Archbishop Holgate for the foundation of Grammar Schools, one within the close of the Cathedral at York, another at Hemsworth, and the third at Old Malton.

14 DECEMBER 1546

Conveyance was made from the York Corporation to Archbishop Holgate of properties between Ogleforth and the City Walls.

10 JANUARY 1547

Holgate's Free School at York was established by Deed.

1858

The Free School of Robert Holgate amalgamated with the Yeoman School and moved into the premises in Lord Mayor's Walk under the title of " Archbishop Holgate's Grammar School".

The original buildings in Ogleforth were demolished.

1948

The School, accepting" Voluntary Controlled" status, became part of the provision made by the York City Education Authority for giving free Grammar School education to boys of the City and the Ridings.

SEPTEMBER 1963

The School moved into its new buildings in Hull Road. The premises in Lord Mayor's Walk were sold by the Foundation Governors to St. John's Training College.

26 OCTOBER 1963

Official opening of the new buildings by SIR WILLIAM WORSLEY, BT.