Which one is the Gosforth Grammar School that MK attempted?

[jbaent]

I'm writing something and I need to know which school was the gosforth grammar school that MK attended when he was a kid, depending on the source I've found that it's where now the Academy is located, or where now the middle school is now...

I hope that some of you have accurate information to help me with this 

[twm]

The site on which Gosforth Grammar stood is now used by Gosforth Central Middle School.

FROM:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosforth_Grammar_School

[jbaent]

Yes, that's the info I first saw, but the Wikipedia for the Gosforth academy claims that it was the grammar school as well, that's why I'm confused 

[twm]

The Wiki entry for the Middle School [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosforth_Central_Middle_School   ] reads as follows;-


[b]The 2004 Gosforth Central Middle School building[/b]
The site on which Gosforth Central stands was formerly used by Gosforth Grammar School,[4] until it became Gosforth High School and moved to the other side of the Great North Road in 1973. The Grammar School building was used by Central, until it was replaced in 2004. The new building was fully built before the original building was demolished. The school is opposite the Regent Centre business complex and Regent Centre Metro station, with the vehicle entrance on Christon Road.

Here is a photograph of Gosforth Grammar School in the 1950s:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/4079055682/

MK would have attended in the 1960s but that was before the re-organisation of the schools which has caused the confusion, so I would guess that the school building would have been largely unchanged when he was there. The caption says that the photo was taken from the Great North Road. This is the main (north-south) road that separates the school from what is now Regent Centre. This photogaph shows that the school building was positioned well away from the Great North Road, with the school sports field between the school buildings and the road itself.

The Wiki text seems to make clear that the old school building has been demolished and replaced by a new building. Perhaps this contemporary photo was taken from the same place as the previous photo:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosforth_Central_Middle_School#/media/File:Gosforth_Central_Middle.jpg

The reference (in the Wiki text) to the vehicle entrance being in Christon Road strongly suggests that Gosforth Grammar School is indeed the site used by Gosforth Central Middle School.

Though I have visited Newcastle often in the past (and indeed even attended a meeting or two at Regent Centre), I cannot pretend to know the city initimately. Perhaps, an AMIT-er from that part of the world may care to comment on what I've written here.

[jbaent]

Yes, that's the info I found but I've read in other sites that the Gosforth grammar when Mk attended the school was were the Academy is located right now. I don't know if in that time the Gosforth Grammar was split in two buildings or what...

I hope that there is any goerdie that can provide light here.

[geordie_60]

Neither! Mark attended Archibald First School Gosforth. We snapped him back in 1993 when he went to his old classroom. See picture attached!
But he later attended the High School, now the Academy, which was rebuilt recently on the same site as the High School. Incidentally Alan Shearer famous footballer was a pupil there too although many years later!

[jbaent]

But his oficial biography says hevattented Gosforth Grammar...

[geordie_60]

But his oficial biography says hevattented Gosforth Grammar...

 Gosforth Grammar became Gosforth High

[twm]

I am not personally much interested in where MK went to school, nor which building that is now, but I am interested in helping jbaent with his project and I'm a bit confused myself now.

Geordie_60, could you help us out here, please?   What years did MK attend Gosforth Grammar? Which street was it in then? When did Gosforth Grammar become Gosforth Academy? And what was the Gosforth/ Grammar/Academy building used for, following the reorganisation?

[dmg]

According to what I can find it was established in 1921 as Gosforth Secondary School.  The site was on the opposite side of the Great North Road to the current site. It changed to Grammar School in 1944.  In the early 1960s the current site of the School began to be used.

In 1973 the local council adopted the three-tier education system. Following this, the Grammar school was combined with Gosforth County Secondary School and Gosforth East County Secondary School, and Gosforth High School was born.  The site on which Gosforth Grammar stood is now used by Gosforth Central Middle School.

[dmg]

But his oficial biography says hevattented Gosforth Grammar...

 Gosforth Grammar became Gosforth High

Wasn't that in 1973 though when Mark would have been the oldest boy in his class at 24! 

[jbaent]

So, where Mk went was where now it's the central middle school, isn't it?

[chrissie]

Mark Knopfler 1960 at the Old Gosforth Grammar School, Back row just off centre.His first year at Gosforth Grammar

[johneytonkl]

Mark and his brother David both attended Gosforth Grammar School.. The school was originally in one site with a good playing field right by the Great North Road.  Then the council decided to build a "new school"...Older pupils moved to the new school with building not yet complete.   When ..  on  on the opposite side of the road... and a bit further down from what is now Regent Centre.  I 'studied' in both the old and the new school buildings.   Just before moving over to the 'new school' I remember chatting with two brothers about school and the future.. They said "Most of the teachers think we are not good at anything.. but the music teacher says we are not bad."     Mark did some folk singing with Sue Hercombe, sister of Peter who was in my class..
The old site later became Gosforth Central Middle.. and my children Suzanne and Alex both both went there... and then across the road  to what became Gosforth High School.. 

[Silvertown]

Mark and his brother David both attended Gosforth Grammar School.. The school was originally in one site with a good playing field right by the Great North Road.  Then the council decided to build a "new school"...Older pupils moved to the new school with building not yet complete.   When ..  on  on the opposite side of the road... and a bit further down from what is now Regent Centre.  I 'studied' in both the old and the new school buildings.   Just before moving over to the 'new school' I remember chatting with two brothers about school and the future.. They said "Most of the teachers think we are not good at anything.. but the music teacher says we are not bad."     Mark did some folk singing with Sue Hercombe, sister of Peter who was in my class..
The old site later became Gosforth Central Middle.. and my children Suzanne and Alex both both went there... and then across the road  to what became Gosforth High School..

Great stuff! Thank you!