Technical High School

On Tuesday 2^nd July 2019 the Mayor of Great Yarmouth Cllr Michael Jeal unveiled a Heritage Blue Plaque that been mounted on to the walls of the Ormiston Venture Academy, Oriel Avenue, Gorleston by the Gorleston-on-Sea Heritage Group to celebrate the opening, in 1954, of the former Technical High School that had stood on this site.

The 1944 Education Act, known widely as the Butler Act, enabled and encouraged local education authorities to organise secondary education on a tripartite system of grammar, technical high and secondary modern schools. This was significant in giving equality of recognition to technical education and the established strand of more classical grammar school education: a very significant step for Britain’s post-war regeneration.        

Great Yarmouth County Borough’s Education Department was at the forefront of this development; indeed, many Education Authorities never did establish technical high schools.  A senior Technical High was established in the former Edward Worlledge Senior School in September 1945 and the age of admission was lowered from 13 to 11 in 1946 to align it with the 11 plus examination.In 1947 the Technical High School became the first co-ed school in the Borough and appointed a female member of staff as Senior Mistress.Planning for a new purposed built Technical High School commenced in 1950; but a national shortage of steel delayed progress during 1952 / 53.

On 2nd December 1954 H R H The Duke of Edinburgh officially opened the school; the first purpose built technical high school in England. The new school admitted boys and girls and promoted a very vocational skills orientated syllabus such as carpentry, metal working, building skills and business and commercial studies.

The Technical High School was renamed around 1972 and became Oriel Grammar School. It later became the Oriel High School in 1980s.

       Photographs by Derek Leak.