Foundation

The school was founded in 1825 and closed in 1985 amid great controversy.

Closure

The school had been removed from the normal schools' repair and maintenance list kept by the city council and was on some sort of sub-list 'essential repairs only', and was under threat of closure according to staff who were there at the time. In fact, they believed that there were  political moves in progress, meant to hasten the end. 

Maurice Devereux was Acting Head. An inspection was sprung on him with only two weeks' notice (one of those weeks was half term).  He told the Education Office that he would not permit the inspectors to come into his school.  Two days later he was offered early retirement on exceedingly advantageous terms - to start on the next Friday.  He was a blunt and honest man - he felt bad at leaving us all in the lurch, but knew he would never get such an opportunity again, and nobody blamed him for taking it.  

The Monday following half term the headmaster of West Derby Comp arrived, together with the inspectors.  He stayed for the rest of the year (during which time the appalling and self-serving outsider was appointed), the inspectors for two weeks. 

The Inspectors' Report

The report of the inspectors spoke of "serious deficiencies", including the very poor condition of the building and its furnishings and fittings. Most teaching departments had insufficient resources.The school was stated to have "no explicit management structure" and a poorly planned and inappropriate curriculum.

Examination results were "generally disappointing"; the sixth form was "in a sorry state in almost every respect"; staff morale was understandably low" and there were problems with attendance and discipline.

The Secretary of State, Sir Keith Joseph

This report caused Sir Keith Joseph to write to the Council saying that the HMI report was "most disturbing" and underlining "the urgent need for the authority to come to grips with the management and rational organisation of secondary school provision in the interests of Liverpool's children".

A separate official letter from the Department of Education gave the authority three months to decide how to rectify problems shown up by the report and set a timetable for improvement.The sub text for both of these letters referred to the fact that in the 1970's the population of the city had plummeted by well over 100,000, leading to massive over-provision in schools with thousands of surplus places.

The End

In the wake of the report the most recent Acting Headmaster took early retirement and for the first time in almost 20 years a new headmaster was appointed not only from outside the school, but outside the city.

On the wider front in response to the three month deadline urgent work was undertaken to review all county secondary school provision in the city and the results emerged in September 1983. After all the required statutory procedures were gone through  the city's proposals with only minor amendments were approved by Sir Keith Joseph, who had the final say. 

The proposals included closure of both the boys' and the girls' schools of the Liverpool Institute. The Schools closed in July, 1985.

Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts

Now of course, it is rejuvenated as the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, largely gutted and refurbished, but the gates, main hall ( now the Paul McCartney Auditorium ), and the staircase to the basement are retained. Two Old Boys are on the LIPA Council - Roger Morris and Stuart Christie. Well done chaps !

Paul Grimshaw, a technician for multimedia at the The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, has set up a WWW site well worth visiting. Great stuff, Paul ... and you too Paul !

History Corner

On April 16th 1999, Jack Sweeney officially opened a school 'History Corner' just inside the Main Entrance by the Old Iron Gates at LIPA. Guests included Miss Baker (former headmaster's secretary), Maurice Devereaux and Mike Jackson both former teachers, together with a number of other old boys including Bill Thomas, Graham Ireland, Ken McKelvie, Roger Morris and Stuart Christie.

Conclusion!

The exodus in 1964, although looked at as rats deserting, could have been a shot in the arm for the Inny. Although many of the "Old Guard" remained, sixteen staff plus the Head left. The majority of the replacements were young, with new ideas. 

Unfortunately this is also the time that the systematic starving of the "elitist" school started by the LEA.

By 1972, the numbers were down and the continual propaganda of the Inny about to close meant that many pupils that would have come,  went elsewhere. However, apart from the afore mentioned "old guard" the
staff was quite young, and, with a few exceptions, committed to the school.  Yes it was run down, falling apart, shortage of books and equipment, holes in the roof that were never repaired, but it was the Inny and with all its faults it still had a sort of "aura" and many like Wally Owen, who wrote this paragraph,   always felt proud to tell people that he was a pupil, and then chose to be a teacher at the Liverpool Institute High School For Boys.   Well said Wally !