FROM BOULEVARD TO SIRIUS

Boulevard Higher Grade School opened on 18 October 1895, in a purpose built building at the Anlaby Road end of the Boulevard in Hull. The building still stands as an apartment block named “Rosedale Mansions”. The Old Kingstonians’ Association has strong links with the current owners of the building, providing exterior and exterior plaques denoting its heritage as a school, and arranging for portraits of aviator Amy Johnson and former Head Masters Dr Cameron Walker and Mr Bernard D. Hicks to be mounted on the wall of the building’s reception area.

Boulevard Higher Grade School catered for over 1,000 children of all ages from five upwards, so it had infant and junior schools as well as girls and boys senior departments. In 1905, the school became the Boulevard Municipal Secondary School, when the infant and junior schools moved to a new building in Saner Street. At this stage, the school was fee paying and the Head Master was Mr Frederick De Velling, who was in post from 1895 to 1925. Former pupils of Kingston High School might be interested to know that the four houses – Meaux, Myton, Wyke and Kingston (later Tranby) - were established as early as 1925, and that in 1929, a certain Bernard. D. Hicks was Head Boy.

In February 1928, the City Architect was instructed to draw up plans for a new mixed secondary school to replace the Boulevard, on a 20 acre site in Pickering Road in West Hull, which had been purchased in 1926 for £7,100. The implementation of these plans was delayed due to a Board of Education ban on new building, but was finally given the go ahead late in 1934, the foundation stone being laid by Mrs M. Gardner on 08 October 1937. Dr William Cameron Walker became Head Master in 1938, overseeing most of the building and fitting out of the new school; he was to remain as Head Master until 1961. Although the building was ready by July 1939, the expected opening was delayed by the wartime evacuation of pupils to Scarborough and Bingley, the school finally opening on 11 March 1940 as Kingston High School. However, it wasn’t until 1943 that entire school met in its new building.

The school remained on the Pickering Road site as Kingston High School until 1988. During much of this 48 year period, the school built an outstanding academic reputation, with excellent examination results and a high percentage of University entrants. It also developed a very strong reputation for sport, music and drama. One landmark was the opening of the School Observatory in 1953, largely a project of keen amateur astronomer and Head Master Dr Cameron Walker. The school’s 50 Year Jubilee (including the years of the Boulevard) was celebrated in 1945 with a service at Holy Trinity Church, and Kingston High School’s 50 Year Jubilee was celebrated in 1990. Mr Alan Woodcock was Head Master from 1961 to 1967, and in 1969 the school became comprehensive. Mr W. Hodge was Head Master from 1967 to 1972, his successor being the aforementioned Old Boulevardian Mr Bernard D. Hicks, who was Head Master from 1972 to 1975.

In 1988, Hull schools underwent a massive re-organisation, with the three tier system of primary, middle and secondary schools being replaced by primary, 11-16 secondary schools and two sixth form colleges. There was a huge shift in teaching staff across the city, with most teachers over 50 taking early retirement. Kingston High School became Kingston School under the headship of Mr John Peck, with only half a dozen of the former staff remaining. The school was on two sites, with the old Boothferry Junior High School (latterly an Education Centre) on Anlaby Park Road South as Kingston Lower School. and the original Pickering Road building as the Upper School. It was a very difficult time, but the staff pulled together and the reputation of the school grew, although examination results remained low. For many years the staff remained largely unchanged, a reflection of what a challenging but happy place the school was, until the rumours of another re-organisation became a reality.

In 2001, three schools - Kingston, Amy Johnson and William Gee - were amalgamated into two - Pickering High School and Endeavour. Kingston Head Teacher Mr John Peck retired, and was replaced by Elaine Wadsworth at Pickering High School, with a new sports hall, a new building to the west of the original school building and an end to the split site facilities. Examination results steadily improved and the school became a specialist Sports College, enjoying growing success on the sports field, particularly in rugby league.

Pickering High School was eventually renamed Sirius Academy, and opened in the original Kingston High School building in September 2009, under Principal Dr. Cathy Taylor. In September 2010, the academy moved to a new, multimillion pound building on Anlaby Park Road South (on the site of the former Kingston Lower School) and in July 2011, the original Kingston High School building on Pickering Road was demolished. Sirius Academy was rated by OFSTED as outstanding in all areas in March 2014, and has since opened a partner academy Sirius Academy North, the original being renamed Sirius Academy West.

The Old Kingstonians’ Association is pleased to have built strong links with Sirius West Academy. For example, the war memorial from the Pickering Road building is now mounted on the wall of Sirius’ reception area, and a short Remembrance Service is held there every November. In addition, and the foundation stone is set at the edge of Sirius’ playing fields, approximately where it was in the Pickering Road building.