Image taken by Phil Barber (JRC 1990-92) during demolition of the JRGS Upper Shirley Road site in 1991. In the early Seventies a series of portable schoolrooms was erected in the playground to accommodate the raising of the school leaving age from 15 to 16.
Paul Graham (JRGS 1959-66) comments:
Looks like the Portakabins (left till last?) and taken from under where Mr. "Vic"
Gee's Art Room was, towards the old Tuck Shop area.
ROSLA [Raising Of the School Leaving Age in
1972/73] meant that schools had to face a bunch of fifth formers who
had been expecting for some time to leave at the end of the fourth
form, often with no extra teaching space. Things were a bit messy for a
few years."
Cliff Cummins (JRGS 1956-62)
adds: "The Ruskin ROSLA block was of a
light-weight structure and may have only had a 20-year design life. It
was re-designated eventually, I think, as the Ruskin Sixth Form block."