Icknield Street School

Icknield Street School (gbmapping|SP057882), near the Hockley Flyover, north of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England, is a good example of a Birmingham board school.

Designed in 1883 by J.H. Chamberlain of Martin & Chamberlain, the main architects for the Birmingham School Board, it has been St Chad's Roman Catholic Annexe and is now an Ashram Centre. Standard VII classes for girls began in 1885. However, these classes closed in 1898 at the opening of the George Dixon Higher Grade Board School. In 1886, it was expanded and again so in 1894. It converted into a modern secondary school in 1945 and by 1960, it had 950 pupils.

The Chamberlain schools were designed for hygiene, light, fresh air and beauty. Typically in red brick and terracotta, gabled, with steep roofs, free planning and towered to provide ventilation. The tower was typically placed over the staircase to draw air through the school. There were terracotta plaques, glazed tiles, ornamental ironwork, tall windows, and stained glass. The arched ironwork of this school is visible where the roof is missing.

It is a Grade II* listed building. The headmaster's house (303 Icknield Street), on the site, is separately Grade II* listed.

ources

*"John Ruskin and Victorian Architecture, Michael W Brooks, 1989
*Cite book
publisher = Yale University Press,
isbn = 0300107315
last = Foster
first = Andy
coauthors = George Demidowicz
title = Birmingham
location = New Haven ;
series = Pevsner architectural guides
date = 2005
*"A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham", 1964
*IoEentry|217324|Images of England - photograph and details of school from listed building text
*IoEentry|217323|Images of England - photograph and details of headmaster's house from listed building text

External links

*Digital-Ladywood|Icknield Street School|old photograph of inside of school
*EHbarName|Icknield+Street+School - school
*EHbarName|303+Icknield+Street - master's house