[5] In September 1939, the Second World War broke out, and the fear of air raids from Germany led to the school being evacuated to Lancaster, where it shared the buildings and sports fields of the Lancaster Royal Grammar School.

He was struck by the success of the small number of boys who passed an exam to transfer from a secondary modern school and later made much of this in his arguments for comprehensive education.

[8] In 1937, the Salford Education Committee had bought a house on Eccles Old Road called Claremont, formerly the residence of Sir Arthur Percival Heywood, which had large grounds.

Demolition of the old school building at Leaf Square began in 1964, and in 1955 the new Salford College of Technology opened on that site.

Notable old boys from the period include Les Blair and Mike Leigh, who worked together on the film Bleak Moments (1971),[9] and the actor Albert Finney.

[4] Special arrangements were needed for charitable trusts connected with the grammar school, which were ultimately wound up.

[2] In 1978, Albert Finney and Harold Riley established an art prize in memory of Eric Simm, headmaster when they were boys at the school.