Broughton High School for Girls was opened on Bury New Road in early
1904. The previous year the need for more good schools, especially
for girls, was highlighted by the following press comment: "Manchester can hardly
be said to be ringed round with good day schools for girls".
However, the local newspaper announced in the December that changes
were "about to take place in the provision of secondary education
for girls in North Manchester". Miss E. M. Clarke, who had been the
head of Manchester High School for Girls for 11 years, resigned from her post there.
Local parents were anxious that she should remain involved in education
in the neighbourhood and a limited company was formed for the promotion
of the "Broughton and Crumpsall High School for Girls". The Bury
New Road property, Bella Vista, was taken and it was thought the new school would
open in the middle of January 1904[1].
Miss Clarke became the school's first headmistress and it was presumed
that several of her staff would transfer with her. Edith Mary Clarke was born
in Worsley in 1859. Her first teaching post was in Bristol though she later
returned to Lancashire. In 1911 she was living at the 22 roomed Bella Vista
with three members of staff, one of whom taught French[2].
When it opened the school fees were expected to be the same as those
charged at Manchester High School[1].
By the summer term of 1905 the school reportedly had 180 scholars[3].
An advertisement in 1911 stated that the fees were then £2 7s. to £4 12s.
per term[4].
At the beginning of 1914 Broughton High was a "Public Secondary
School of the highest class"[5].
At the last speech day before the First World War it was announced that
an old girls' Association had been formed; they had set up a fund to be used
as a scholarship for those parents who could not afford to pay the full
fee[6].
In late 1914 the school collected £1-14-0 for the Belgian Refugees
in Holland Fund[7]. They also
contributed £10 towards Serbia (their 2nd contribution). This was to send
by the London Unit to Serbia and was to care for the British wounded and to
relieve distress caused by the war[8].
Miss Clarke was still the school's head in 1916 but it is not clear when she retired.
Miss Dorothy G Coward was the principal in 1922, although she retired when she
married in 1929[9].
In my mother's time at Broughton High the younger girls were educated at
Broom Lane Preparatory School, which was over the road from the main school
in a house called 'The Stables'. The web mistress' mother was a pupil at
both Broom Lane and Broughton High for seven years and matriculated in 1932. She loved
this school, despite the large amounts of homework she was
given (nothing has changed for pupils in that respect). As
a reminder of what was at home her school friend Lily posted
this card to her in the summer of 1931 whilst she was on
a family holiday to Llandudno.
My late mother was very fortunate to attend Broughton High
and to be so well educated; her father had died in 1919 whilst
serving in the Army so the education of both her and her sister
was paid for by the Linen Trade. This was because of the post
he would have held in the trade if he'd have survived the War.
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