St Marylebone Grammar School

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St Marylebone Grammar School (SMGS) was a grammar school in London from 1792 to 1981. Founded as the Philological School by Thomas Collingwood, under the patronage of the Duke of York, its object was to help "the heads of families, who by unexpected misfortune, have been reduced from a station of comfort and respectability." Originally founded in Mary Street (later renamed Stanhope Street, N.W. 1), it moved to Marylebone Road in 1827. Its fortunes then improved largely because of headmaster Edwin Abbott. After Abbott, the school's financial position deteriorated. In 1908 it was accepted in trust by the London County Council and renamed St Marylebone Grammar School. After World War I it recovered and under headmaster Philip Wayne it developed artistic activities, acquired shared use of playing fields in Sudbury Hill (reached by rail from nearby Marylebone Station), and established a country base near Leith Hill. ^[1]

After Philip Wayne, SMGS was led by Harry Llewellen-Smith as headmaster until 1970. During his period a new and separate science block was built a short walk away from the school's main site. Roy Mansell led the science team and was for a short period the last headmaster after Patrick Hutton.

Soon after headmaster Patrick Hutton (former surmaster at St Paul's School) arrived in 1970, the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) proposed to merge SGMS with the local secondary modern school. ILEA itself came into conflict with the new Conservative government, whose secretary of state for education Margaret Thatcher took an interest in SMGS. By 1981, however, SMGS had closed.^[2]

The former science block continues in educational use as the Cosway Street Centre, part of City of Westminster College. The main school building (which consisted of the original school building on Marylebone Road and two later wings in Lisson Grove) was largely demolished and replaced with an office block, although the original facade and some rooms of the original building (which was a listed building) still remain.

Notable students of the school include Edwardian author Jerome K. Jerome, historian and author Eric Hobsbawm, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham, footballer John Barnes, film directors Steve Barron and Julien Temple, musician Benny Green and pop singer Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard).

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