St John’s School in Kirkdale was started by Father Moses Dawn who ran it in the basement of an old Congregational Chapel which served as a Catholic Church from 1871. The school in Sessions Rd was built in 1877 to accommodate over 1,300 pupils. There have been a number of different buildings. Junior Boys were housed for many years in North Dingle; the girls were for some years locate in a building which ha been Walton Technical College. I have to admit to finding it all confusing!

There are lots of photos of St John’s Kirkdale in the Scottie Press

Left - the girl’ school, formerly Walton Technical College courtesy of Liverpool Record Office)

Above (Ron FORMBY) and right - the current building. The Secondary Modern closed in the Catholic Re-organisation of the mid 1980s; infant and junior schools amalgamated some years ago. A new building is underway as I type!

So, what about people? Joan’s grandmother, Annie HIGGINS attended the school in the late 1880s My great grandmother Elizabeth NAYLOR (nee SMITH) taught there at one time - probably in the 1910s

The Scottie Press site refers to a number of teachers from photographs of the 1950s:: Mr BURKE, Mr MacADAM, Mr TAYLOR (Headmaster), Mr THOMAS.

Top two photos are of the old Boys’ School in Sessions Rd / North Dingle. Thanks to Ron FORMBY for the middle photo

Below: St John’s Infants (thanks to Ron FORMBY)