King Henry VIII Grammar School

An interesting insight, Vesper. I never knew Burton, he was way before my time, although some teachers had served under him. I do agree that Herbert Walker was, in hindsight, a strange choice as headmaster. He clearly had no affinity to teaching and I'm not sure he had ever done much. He had been in Germany as a civil servant, as you say, and my memories are that he seemed to have as little contact with pupils as possible. He did, in theory, teach RE to first years. But as often as not he would send a prefect to cover for him, with instructions to do some meaningless and tedious task involving a passage from the bible. He was indeed a pious and pompous man and lacked any sort of warmth or affinity to the pupils in his charge. He seemed only to get involved with pupils when there was a serious problem, either through misbehaviour or poor achievement. He retained the caning responsibility for himself, although it seemed to be rarely used. Instant violence was the preferred method across the school. He used Cyril Shore as his enforcer and shield so that he didn't need to get involved with the minutiae of day-to-day school life. It was fairly widely known that Shore felt he should have been made head instead of Walker, and he carried that resentment for the rest of his life. It certainly manifested itself on a daily basis as he was a vindictive and bitter man loathed by pupils and staff alike. I only remember being summoned to Walker's inner sanctum once. I was a Governor's Scholar and he felt that lower mid-table was not good enough for that, even in the A-stream. I was given a completely uninspiring pep-talk, geared to frightening me into doing better! It made no difference, of course. I spent far more time in Shore's office, either denying involvement in some mischief or being taken to task for the length of my hair! Interesting that you mention the 'pulpit'. His assembly performances were certainly of that sort, with a grand entrance, gown flowing, preceding religious pomp and serious announcements. The grand ceremonial exit was followed by Shore's humdrum notices. Walker, with his aloof attitude and religious obsession, missed his vocation. He should have been a bishop! His influence over KHVIII was depressingly negative and his legacy was that he held the school back in some sort of time warp for two decades. We hear of 'men of vision', but Herbert Walker, in my assessment, was a man of no vision whatsoever.

Hear hear!

Yes, MisterD-Di, your assessment seems to me spot-on (about Herb). I also had a hair issue, on which he wasted time. My windsor knot and "boston style hair cut" weren't fitting for the dignity of prefect, leading to my being relegated to sub-prefect! It must have been round the time The Bishop came along to talk about The Decline of Western Civilization (Spengler). Returning to Burton, his eccentricity disconcerted the straight-aheads, boys and staff, so that Walker's super-normality seemed a relief. Also he infuriated staff by sending boys back (like myself) uncaned because he judged their "impertinence" pertinent. The school was lively and functioned under him, nevertheless, and he tolerated some brilliant eccentrics on the staff, because they stimulated e.g. the historian Dr Dan Roland. His eccentricities were splendid. When I was taken along by my mother for entrance exam to the junior school, she imperiously asked a man in riding gear to direct her to the headmaster, to which he replied,"Madam, I AM The Headmaster!". Sometimes he took morning prayers in dressing gown over pyjamas (it was rumoured the housekeeper was exotic). Often he was accompanied by gun dogs, on one occasion appealing for boys with similar breeds to step forward to discuss their animals breeding with his. On the heroic side, he was badly injured saving the School Charter in the April Blitz (but, alas, not Holbein's John Hales), presided over the temporary move to Alcester, and kept the school running in impossible conditions. From 1943 (when I entered the top end of the junior school) to 1951 all morning assemblies were in the open, "weather permitting"! Little of the school remained except rubble and debris. Prefabs abounded. The Library was only rebuilt by 1950. The Pavilion was a temporary job built by The Air Squadron. Yet school life was normalized and the XV was not only unbeaten against schools but occasional services teams. Perhaps eccentricity was the only sane route for overseeing this. The governors duly showed their exasperated "gratitude" and exasperation by moving him out in 1950 and began the propaganda line that Walker was the man to "improve" standards. This was greeted with relief in many quarters and subsequent school generations liked to think that they had the benefit of an education directed by The Exceptional Linguist. As for Burton, he was rumoured to have taken off for New Zealand as a rugby coach. It has a mythic rightness!

I spent the summer holidays of 1950 working as a junior reporter on The Coventry Standard. I then returned for my third year in the sixth (I had my Highers but was not quite 17) to take Oxbridge entrance which, as related above, The Herb famously aborted. Whether it was the weeks spent in "the real world" - if the bizarre world of The Standard itself could be called that - or the phoniness of a year to be spent kicking my heels after passing Highers... but I only recall that year as phantasmagoria. For the first time, I noticed that some staff thought it psychologically abnormal to be half in VI Classical (I had taken Latin) and half in VI Modern (History and French), having emerged from V Classical. Then there was the bizarre religious practice called Rugby. When I tried to organize an official-unofficial school soccer XI with fixtures, and a young master tried the same with hockey, genuine fear and anger were aroused. (Given the overwhelming, ignored popularity of soccer, rugby could only be maintained by a kind of moral quasi-religious subsidy.) Then a popular master was dismissed for starting a rhythm club, and another for buying ("from a pupil", the charge-sheet read!) a blotchy "alternative" magazine one or two of us produced. Finally, having been made (the operative word) a prefect, I discovered that my duties in overseeing a fifth form in that capacity had encouraged The Herb to do an Alice in Wonderland association of ideas. Since two boys in the form I was responsible for were alleged to have committed a criminal act, and one was a neighbour, it must follow that I was (a) older - QED and (b) the originator. Later I woke up in Leeds and found I had been time-travelling, in my dreams, to a place and a period that did not exist but will, one day, be called Herbivore.

I will come to the defence of Herbert Walker and I did have a bit more of an insight than most. AACB (Burton) was eccentric and a martinet and at times could be terrifying. One Saturday morning in 1948/9 I went up to the school to find my father and got lost. Burton saw me and yelled "What are you doing here boy?" - I just turned and ran all the way to the bottom of Spencer Avenue. As you can tell I haven't forgotten it. AACB may have been a great headmaster but his manner created many enemies, not least the Coventry City Council. Being strongly Labour they wanted to turn King Henry VIII into a comprehensive school, something the governors, staff and many parents opposed. "Piggy"? Shore became Acting Headmaster when Burton retired and he was on the short list for selection and very disappointed not to get the job. But Herbert Walker was the governor's choice because he was an administrator and a politician with an education background. And he was the right choice for he saved the school from becoming a comprehensive. Herbert Walker was the external face of King Henry VIII to the community and very effective in that role. And once Shore got over his disappointment he became a very loyal deputy because he saw that Walker's external role was the saving of KH VIII as a Direct Grant School. Herbert Walker wasn't a teacher but he took RE for the 2nd forms, all of them, so that he could meet and assess every boy in the school, the mark of a competent manager. Walker gained the trust and respect of most of his staff just as he gained the trust and respect of the education departments. I would agree that as pupil he would always seem a bit aloof and remote but that was the man whose legacy was that he modernised the school between 1951 and 1973.

Can't really dispute any of that, Thomas!

I have to disagree that Walker was a success as headmaster. He may have been a competent administrator but that is not what is required to run a school. He may have fought political battles, but what did he achieve by retaining direct grant status? Other grammar schools, notably Birmingham's, came under local authorities but retained grammar school status and do so to this day. The idea that he assessed boys by teaching them RE in the second form is also erroneous, as I have said previously. More often than not he would send a prefect to take the classes as he was 'busy'. Even if he did arrive, he would get us to learn some passage from the bible parrot fashion or copy something out to kill time. He didn't appear to 'do' teaching at all and had no rapport with pupils whatsoever. He certainly was not respected by them either, more feared as if you were summoned by the 'beak' you knew you had done something very wrong. The day-to-day running of the school was very much down to Shore, who was certainly a martinet. I doubt he was loyal, and some staff would confirm that he was bitter for the rest of his career at being overlooked for the top job. He had no rapport either and was a cruel, vindictive man with no redeeming features whatsoever. Walker was remote from Shore's regime of casual violent punishments, which many teachers took on board with relish. I'm sure you don't need to look far for experience of that. As for his legacy, I certainly don't think he modernised at all. I started in the senior school in 1964, and it seemed like 1951. When I left in 1971 it still seemed like 1951. The buildings may have been replaced after being war damaged, but nothing else ever seemed to change. I was unfortunate to be there in the final years of many of the 'old retainers' who had taught since the war without any new input whatsoever. There were many teachers who were approaching retirement and in the comfort zone, and there was some very poor teaching. A few new faces did arrive but real change and progress only happened after Walker and Shore had gone. Walker's legacy was that during his tenure time stood still.

I was six years ahead of you, then, Mr D, and I can assure you there were many improvements to the infrastructure while I was there - when I left in 63 it was very different from 58, or 54 when Philip and I started in Mrs Gates's class

There may have been some building improvements, certainly. I remember the junior school getting a new hall in about 1962. There were new science blocks built post-war too, presumably to replace ones destroyed in the war. But that is not the only angle to modernisation. Despite bricks and mortar, the place was living in a bygone age. In truth, many of the facilities were inferior to the new comprehensives which many of my friends attended and which I sometimes visited. I have no doubt that Walker and his senior masters were frightened to death of change. I doubt they would have admitted girls if he had still been there, for instance. Many of those people were all 60+ by 1970 and only when they eventually went did the school change. As far as the running of the place, the discipline and the casual brutality are concerned, Walker changed nothing. He never found his vocation in my view. He would have made a good clergyman, given his pious and detached nature.

New chemistry block New block housing woodworking (downstairs) and music room (upstairs) New library New biology labs New school hall New gymnasium New tennis courts I am not supporting HW who I disliked immensely and certainly was not a teacher, but I do challenge your version of improvements made to the school during his tenure and my years there

Mr D, all I can say is that you and I have a very different impression of our time at King Henry VIII. I almost get the impression you are disappointed that you went to King Henry VIII and would have preferred to have gone to one of the very new and modern (then they were new build) comprehensives. I do not accept your comparison of Birmingham and Coventry City Councils. Coventry, with a strongly left wing bias wanted to make ALL its schools comprehensive. Birmingham respected its successful Grammar Schools such as King Edward VII. Coventry wanted to put the War Damage monies into its new comprehensives and close King Henry VIII. I recognise there was a fairly tough disciplinary regime at King Henrys in the late 50s and early 60s but Herbert Walker gradually replaced the AAC Burton days of Saturday morning detentions and canings with a more enlightened regime. Such a change took time and, I think, you should remember that most of the teachers had been in the forces during the war and grew up to regard tough discipline as normal. I don't actually remember Piggy Shore being cruel, I do remember the capabilities of many masters (JBY-E excepted) to deliver stinging verbal put downs. As far as their ages go, I think they were some 5 to 10 years younger than you remember, many having joined the school in 1947-52. Modernisation is an interesting expression. The comprehensives were modern and used different teaching philosophies to the Grammar and Public schools but a look at Oxbridge and other university admissions speaks volumes for the successes or otherwise of these differing methods. And there was modernisation under Herbert Walker - I remember Alan Edwards, Laurie Wrench and my father changing the entire maths syllabus with a complete new set of textbooks and methodology in the 60s and I believe other departments adopted new methods. Midland Red has pointed out a number of building changes, (I still remember the prefabs with holes in their walls) and I would remind you that under Herbert Walker's regime the school purchased the Highway playing fields which allowed the school to expand its buildings. Finally I seem to remember that there was always stiff competition at the school's entrance exam with more than double the applicants to the number of available places. Most certainly King Henry's reputation was positive [in the Coventry community] in the 1950, 60s and 70s, the period of Herbert Walker's headmastership.

Ah, the prefabs - yes, I remember them, the prefects' room was at the end of one block

I think you have still missed the point. The buildings could hardly not have been replaced, they were destroyed. However, there were still some appalling facilities there even when I left, which was not long before Walker went. It is the regime and way the school was run that I refer to. Perhaps Walker wished his legacy to be bricks & mortar, but that may have summed up the man. The buildings concerned were all there by 1964, nothing was actually built while I was there. Having visited the school in recent times, you can see what can be achieved when it is run with true vision. Walker only cared about what outsiders thought of the school, I don't think he cared for the pupils in his care at all. On reflection, I would have probably preferred to have gone to a comprehensive as I never really enjoyed KHVIII. I hated the way you were kept in an atmosphere of fear and threats by bullying teachers. Your Oxbridge argument is largely meaningless, as the entrance exam ensured the brightest kids got in. As a governor's scholar I was regarded as one such boy, but I reckon I would have achieved more elsewhere with better teaching. As for the 'past-it' teachers, the ones I refer to would all have been born around 1910 so were largely disinterested. Max Gordon, eccentric as he may have been, at least cared, and he was an exception. You mention the maths regime, and I certainly disagree with you about that, having done maths to A-level. Allen Edwards and his 'new maths' was a disaster for us as we were the guinea pigs for his ideas. We were regularly given illegible duplicated sheets with the lessons on them, which were re-issued on a regular basis as errors were discovered. For example, 'Ex 10' would soon return as 'R Ex 10' (re-written) and then 'RR Ex 10' and even 'RRR Ex 10'. There were NO textbooks, I can assure you. It was a ridiculous experiment, not helped by some truly shocking teaching. Suffice to say that I was not the only one at that time that regretted taking maths at A-level. The whole maths department at that time was a complete shambles! I must mention Piggy Shore again, as you say you cannot remember him being cruel and vindictive. Perhaps you were a special case, but he was universally despised. Even 40 years later nobody has a good word for him when I meet with contemporaries these days. It seems that the prospect of punishing people was what got him out of bed in the morning. Sadly, he was not the only one who enjoyed it. Some just enjoyed hitting boys for the sake of it, and I have no doubt that if they were to do now what they did then they would be prosecuted.

As there are quite a number of former King Henry VIII pupils on here I wonder if any of you knew a Michael Harris who became a pupil there in Sept 1955. He and I had vied to be top of the class at Charter Primary in Canley for 2 or 3 years. I remember my mother being very annoyed that I didn't get in too as I did pass my 11+ exam. I ended up at Woodlands. From what I have read on here I'm glad I missed out. At that age I was too shy to have made a mark anywhere. In fact, though I was in one of the streams that studied for GCEs, I left school at 15 - a thing I have never regretted.

Interesting thoughts, Pixrobin. The problem for me is that I had been to KHVIII junior school rather than my local primary. I was in the top 3 or 4 there every term, and of course we were coached for the entrance exam to the senior school. I ended up getting a governor's scholarship, possibly because one of the other contenders for the 5 or 6 awarded was Walker's son who was shunted off to Bablake. Most scholarships seemed to go to junior school boys. The scholarship was very much a double edged sword. My parents were initially delighted, but this was short-lived as it soon became clear that it was a financial disadvantage to them. You got an award of £5 a year, which was massively outweighed because you only got a bus pass if you had a council place. I had to pay, 2 buses each way. There were no other benefits at all and it was too late to change our minds and take the council place. The other downside was that being a governor's scholar was a millstone round your neck as you were expected to excel at everything. You were cut no slack at all. I hated being marked out by this and probably made me as rebellious as I was. I was also expected to get a good place at university, a point made often. Like you I never regretted leaving straight after A-levels and getting a job which turned into a career with local government. If I am honest, KHVIII did little to prepare me for that career. I never had a careers interview in my life!