Do you know that Kingsbury High School started in a former aircraft factory? It’s quite the transformation. Kingsbury High School is a large two-site school with academy status. It stands in Kingsbury London.
Let’s dive into the history of Kingsbury High School. The school’s roots stretch back to 1925. It began as Kingsbury County School on September 15. Before that several schools served the area. These schools changed with the population and politics.
Back in 1530 a curate named John Bishop ran a school. But solid evidence is missing until the 1800s. Schooling gets a mention in 1819. Then a day school opened in 1822. It was near Kingsbury Road and Roe Green. The current Kingsbury High School overlooks this site. Sadly this early school closed in 1876.
Other schools popped up. It was said nearly all Kingsbury kids attended one school or another in 1847. A report slammed the British School’s cramped conditions in 1875. This led to the Kingsbury School Board being set up. In 1876 Kingsbury Board School opened. It could hold 130 pupils. By 1903 it became Kingsbury Council School. Then in 1922 it was the first senior mixed school. This happened after infants moved to Kenton Lane Council School. After 1928 it became a junior school. Sadly bombs destroyed it during World War II.
When Kingsbury County School opened in 1925 it used a former Aircraft Manufacturing Company building. This building also was known as Airco. It stood on Edgware Road opposite Colindale Avenue. The building held 380 pupils. Mr Tracy was the first headmaster. He had eight teachers. Five were full-time and three part-time. As the aircraft industry grew so did the school. In 1929 a new school was built on Princes Avenue. John Laing and Co. built it for about \u00a343,638.
The Butler Education Act changed things in 1944. It created three types of secondary schools. These were grammar schools, technical schools and secondary modern schools. Kingsbury County School became a grammar school. It then changed its name to Kingsbury County Grammar School. Headmaster Dr Payling started extensions in 1954. He had replaced Mr Tracy after his retirement in 1949.
Kingsbury had another secondary school. This became the secondary modern school. Kingsbury’s population kept growing. Building a second secondary school began in Bacon Lane in 1939. World War II slowed progress. Kingsbury Secondary Modern School used the old Airco building. Kingsbury County School had left it in 1931. In 1952 Tyler’s Croft county secondary schools opened. These were separate schools for boys and girls. Pupils from Kingsbury Secondary Modern School moved there.
In 1967 Brent Borough Council adopted the comprehensive system. Kingsbury County Grammar and the Tyler’s Croft schools merged. This created the large Kingsbury High School. Mr Jones became headmaster in 1954 replacing Dr Payling. He managed the change from grammar to comprehensive school. The Bacon Lane site became the Lower School. A Head of Lower School managed it. The old Kingsbury County Grammar buildings became the upper years. Mr C. Mitchell took over in 1970. He served for 18 years. He oversaw important developments. Kingsbury’s ethnic makeup changed. A large Asian community grew. The school roll grew to 1750. The number of ethnic minority children increased. Philip Snell succeeded Mr Mitchell in 1988. He was the former head of Preston Manor High School.
Parents voted for grant-maintained status in 1993. This meant more funding and control over admissions. The school’s computing reputation grew. Mr Snell’s interest in technology helped. The first computer-based Open Learning Centre opened. It even had a weather forecasting link. The Queen launched the royal website at the school. This boosted its computing reputation.
Mr Snell retired in 2003. Mr C. Chung a former teacher succeeded him. The school now admits over 300 pupils each year. This results in just under 2,000 pupils including the sixth form.
Ofsted rated the school as “Good” in 2014 and again in 2018.
The school motto is “Spectemur agendo.” It means “Let us be judged by our actions.” It dates back to 1925. The badge has changed over time. Both old and new badges have a crown. The original badge had a crown above three sabres. The current badge has a crown above a triangle. The triangle represents the sabres.
Notable alumni include Mutya Buena from Sugababes. Also George Michael the singer attended Kingsbury High School.
In 2025 Kingsbury High School will celebrate 100 years. The school community is excited about this historic moment.
Kingsbury High School continues to uphold its values. These values are personal excellence respect friendship inspiration determination courage and equality.