This is the second instalment of the history of The Gilberd School which can trace its roots back to 1914 when the (boys only) Junior Technical School was established in what is today part of the premises of Colchester Sixth Form College off North Hill.

My article last week ended in 1949, when the then North-East Essex County Technical School (successor to the Junior Technical School), admitted girls for the first time – the first intake of evolving into a selective school through 11 plus examination entry.

Also at North Hill at this time were Colchester County High School for Girls and North-East Essex Technical College and School of Art, which today is the Colchester Institute in Sheepen Road.

The similar sounding Technical School and Technical College operated very closely with one another.

Benhams’ Colchester Directory for 1949 lists the North-East Essex County Technical School with the acting headmaster named as E H Enoch who was also named as acting principal of the North East Essex Technical College and School of Art.

This joint arrangement had existed since 1914 and continued until the end of 1952 when R Sprason became headmaster of the Technical School on January 1 1953.

G O Stephens was appointed principal of the Technical College ahead of its move to Sheepen Road the following year.

Education minutes of the North-East Essex Executive, meeting on March 21 1958, record that governors of the North East Essex County Technical School had recommended that the name be changed to The Gilberd County Technical School. The words “county technical” were dropped in the spring of 1964.

The Gilberd School’s move from North Hill to Highwoods began in 1980 with the intake of what today would be called Year 7 pupils (201 aged 11) in the first phase of a new school (on which work had started in 1978) built in the middle of fields as arguably the most rural school in Essex before houses were built.

The move coincided with the gradual change from a selective school to comprehensive. With the comprehensive Gilberd being expanded each year at Highwoods, pupils from earlier selective intakes stayed at North Hill before the final year left in 1985.

Staff travelled between both sites. For the first two years at Highwoods, pupils were bused to North Hill for some lessons.

Further building phases were completed for the start of the academic years in September 1982, 1983 and 1985.

The Gilberd School has continued to grow over the past 30 years and is firmly established as an integral part of Highwoods, drawing pupils from much of the northern parts of Colchester. But it might have been very different.

My research reveals that in 1960 there were advanced discussions to relocate The Gilberd, which was at that time a selective school, to a site off Norman Way – I assume to the east of Colchester County High School for Girls which had moved there three years previously.

A proposal ineducation minutes of March 11 1960 was that there would be 23-acres of shared playing fields for four new schools – County High School which was already there, the never built Gilberd, and the later built Roman Catholic Secondary School St Benedict’s, 1963 and another Secondary School - Philip Morant in 1965.

The Gilberd never moved to Norman Way. Twenty years later came the start of the move to Highwoods.

A couple of footnotes: The 1914 admission register of the Colchester Junior Technical School names the first 25 pupils enrolled on September 18, headed alphabetically by Aldersey Davenport Aberdein, date of birth June 10 1900, of 11 Short Wyre Street, whose deceased father was a restaurant proprietor.

The youth had previously attended Culver Street Wesleyan School (where Primark is now).

Young Aberdein did an engineering course before leaving, on July 20 1916, to become a motor car fitter with Adams & Co for nine shillings (45p) a week.

Second, Benham’s 1920 Colchester Almanack and Directory listed under Colchester and District Boy Scouts that the 7th Colchester Troop was attached to the Boys Technical School although it seems to have closed by 1924.

SIR BOB RUSSELL