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 had been Walton Technical College.  I have to admit to finding it all confusing!

My great grandmother, Christina NAYLOR (nee SMITH) taught at St John’s.  My grandfather, Fred NAYLOR (born 1901) attended the school and later taught there too, before going on to be head at St Philomena’s.  My mother remembers that he and the other staff had to take a pay cut during the Depression of the 1930s.

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

Above - the girls’ 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!

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)