St Benedict's Catholic High School

In the mid 1960's a new school was built on New Hey Road, just inside the township of Upton, this was to house Noctorum High School for Girls.

 

In 1982 the Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury bought the now empty school buildings in New Hey Road from the local authority. After the buildings had been refurbished, Marian High School moved in, the school had previously operated from two seperate sites within Birkenhead.
St Benedict's School

In 1987 the school was combined with Bishop Challoner High School, which was previously located in Claughton Village. The combined school was renamed St Benedict's High School*.

 

The school was designed to have 1200 pupils, with 200 in the sixth form, but the number of pupils fell dramatically. By 1994 there where 696 pupils on the school's roll, and by 1999 this had dropped to 426 (including 61 in the sixth form).
St Benedict's School

Because of this falling roll, the decision was taken to close the school, so at the end of the 2001/2002 accademic year, the school closed. The remaining pupils where transferred to other Catholic schools in the area.

 

On New Years Eve 2002, a fire broke out in the empty school, the fire was fought with fire engines from Upton, Birkenhead and Wallasey, but the sixth form block was severely damaged.
St Benedict's School

It is believed that the fire was started by vandals, who also ransacked the main three storey building.

 

The school has remained empty since then, and has been badley vandalised.
St Benedict's School
St Benedict's School          St Benedict's School

* In actual fact, St Benedict's was the end result of a series of amalgamations involving six schools starting in 1970. The six schools involved where:

 

NameTypePupils
Blessed Edward CampionBoys Secondary Modern275
Holt Hill ConventGirls Grammar - Direct Grant580
LadycrossGirls Secondary Modern288
Our Lady of LourdesMixed Secondary Modern211
St Hugh'sBoys Secondary Modern520
St Winefride'sGirls Secondary Modern311

 

When Comprehensive schools where introduced in 1970, Ladycross and Blessed Edward Campion combined to become Corpus Christie High, St Winefride's became Heathley High and Our Lady of Lourdes closed.

 

NameTypePupils
Corpus ChristieMixed High School670
HeathleyGirls High School400
Holt Hill ConventGirls Grammar - Direct Grant450
St Hugh'sBoys High School570

 

In 1976 Direct Grant status was abolished, and the existing direct grant schools chose either to become independent, or to join the comprehensive system. Holt Hill Convent decided on the later, and it combined with Heathley High School to become Marian High School.

 

In the early 1980's, Corpus Christie combined with St Hugh's and became Bishop Challoner High School.