Edward Kelly (headmaster)

Captain Edward Kelly
Edward Kelly in 1970
Born	(1919-10-10)October 10, 1919 West Derby, Lancashire, England
Died	July 14, 2005(2005-07-14) (aged 85) Enfield, Middlesex, England
Education	Liverpool University (B.Sc)
Occupation(s)	Educator, Headteacher
Known for	Headteacher of The Latymer School (1970–1983)
Spouse	Dorothy Molyneux (m. 1954)

Edward Stanley Kelly (10 October 1919 – 14 July 2005) was a British educator who served as the headteacher of The Latymer School in Edmonton, from 1970 to 1983. He was also the first headteacher of Biddulph Grammar School (now known as Woodhouse Middle School) and had a distinguished career in teaching and the military. Kelly was known for his progressive reforms, including the abolition of streaming and the prefect system, and the establishment of an elected school council at Latymer.

Edward Kelly was born on 10 October 1919 in West Derby, Lancashire.^[1] His father, Stanley Cowan Kelly, emigrated from the Isle of Man and worked as a cotton warehouse worker, while his mother, Maud Isabel Kelly (née Garrett), was a housewife.^[2][3] He also had a younger brother named Douglas Kelly.^[4] The family settled in Kirkdale, an inner northern suburb of Liverpool.

Growing up in the 1920s and early 1930s, Kelly experienced first-hand the poverty and deprivation of the inter-war years. He attended a local elementary school in Kirkdale, the same school his mother had attended a generation earlier. Despite dingy conditions and classes of 40 or more, he received a rigorous education from "forceful teachers" who emphasized numeracy and mathematical problem-solving. It was here he also began learning the violin. This school, along with St Mary's Church in Kirkdale, where he was involved in the scout movement, profoundly influenced his moral and spiritual development and fostered an interest in voluntary social service.^[5]

At the age of ten, Kelly won a junior city scholarship to the Liverpool Institute, a renowned grammar school for boys known for its academic excellence. He undertook a highly accelerated course, developed a passion for outdoor sports, particularly athletics, and cultivated a love of music, participating in the school's choir, which was connected to Liverpool Cathedral. Despite the economic hardship of the early 1930s, his parents' sacrifices enabled him to attend Liverpool University, where he graduated with honours in mathematics.^[5]

During World War II, Kelly applied his mathematical training to the war effort, working on radar. He served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and later the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, achieving the rank of captain.^[5]

Following his demobilisation in 1945, Kelly returned to Liverpool and began his teaching career at Liverpool College, a public school for boys.^[5] He quickly became a housemaster for one of the day boys' houses. In 1955, he moved to the Isle of Man to take up the senior mathematics post at Douglas High School for Boys, a large institution that had been reorganised on comprehensive lines.^[6]

In 1960, at the age of 40, Edward Kelly was appointed the first headteacher of a new grammar school in Biddulph, a small mining town in Staffordshire, which started with 60 pupils in two forms. Over the next decade, working with a team of energetic and primarily young teachers, he successfully pioneered the creation of a "thriving grammar school." He embraced the educational innovations of the 1960s, including Nuffield science projects, "new mathematics" approaches, Project Technology, Engineering Design at Advanced Level and languages such as German.^[6][7]

In 1970, Kelly transitioned back to a larger institutional setting when he was appointed headteacher of The Latymer School in Edmonton a position he held until 1983. Upon his arrival, he was faced with a curriculum that was perceived as "old-fashioned." He embarked on a series of reforms, often implementing changes gradually and building upon the foundation laid by his predecessor, Dr. Trefor Jones.^[6]

A significant reform was the complete abolition of streaming by ability, which he deemed "unsuitable" for a school already attracting high-ability pupils. Kelly believed that streaming caused undue stress among cleverer students who might be forced into subjects for which they had little aptitude, and conversely, it could deny opportunities to less academically inclined pupils who showed strong aptitude in other areas.^[8] Another radical decision was the abolition of the traditional prefect system. Kelly's conviction was that all sixth formers were "sufficiently mature and responsible" to contribute to the running of the school, thus reserving special powers and status only for the Head Boy, Head Girl, and their deputies, a change he felt made the system fairer by avoiding arbitrary choices.^[9]

In 1970, Kelly also instigated the creation of an elected School Council, a large body comprising 84 members, with one boy and one girl elected from each of the six house registration groups. While acknowledging the headmaster's ultimate legal responsibility under common law (''in loco parentis''), the Council served as an important "forum" for pupils to express their views. Kelly emphasized its advisory role in his annual address to the Council each September, affirming that ultimate democratic power resided with Parliament.^[10] Curriculum development under Kelly included encouraging the extension of Nuffield science and "new mathematics," and incorporating the then-new Certificate of Secondary Education examinations to provide more appropriate education for pupils for whom the General Certificate of Education courses were deemed too academic.^[6]

He also strengthened the House system, distributing new entrants into six named House units . These units served as a channel for seniors to mentor juniors in various activities, fostering leadership and a strong sense of community.^[11] Furthermore, with new school extensions opening in 1966 providing dedicated common rooms, sixth formers were granted greater freedom and responsibility, which led to the formation of a Sixth Form Common Room Committee.^[12] Regarding daily acts of worship, Kelly offered an alternative daily sixth-form assembly that was not an act of worship, eventually settling on two weekly assemblies held in the Lecture Theatre, which served as a forum for discussion on various themes.^[9]

Kelly was renowned for his prodigious work ethic, being a constant presence at the school from early morning until late evening, often taking a small suitcase of work home to complete tasks that remained unfinished during the day. Despite his ultimate authority, he displayed humility, frequently sought advice from colleagues, and was remembered for his positive nature and a ready sense of humour, though he never shied away from confronting staff who presumed to trespass on his authority. He firmly believed that "every child matters," demonstrating this by personally meeting all lower sixth formers in small groups to get to know them. His singing voice was a notable feature during school assemblies, which in that era commonly included hymn singing.^[13][14]

During his 13-year tenure, Edward Kelly navigated The Latymer School through a period that included serious attempts by the Labour government to abolish grammar school status, and he is widely credited with leaving the school in a significantly stronger position than it had been upon his arrival in 1970.^[13]

Edward Kelly maintained a profound Christian faith throughout his life, serving as a Reader in the Church of England from 1947. At St Paul's Church, Winchmore Hill, he served as a Lay Preacher, authored St. Paul's Church, Winchmore Hill in 1987, a parish history book, and was a Trustee for the St. Paul's Winchmore Hill Trust in 1987.^[15][16] He married Dorothy Molyneux in July 1954 and together they had children.^[17] He had a strong appreciation for music and the arts, reflected in his love of music and his participation in school choirs.^[5]

In retirement, Edward Kelly remained a dedicated supporter of The Latymer School. He regularly attended school events, took an active interest in its history and traditions, and offered support to his successors. He remained active in his final years and was a guest of the school at its Founders' Day celebration in May 2005.^[13] Edward Kelly died on 14 July 2005 in Winchmore Hill at the age of 85.^[18]

• Morris, Joseph Acton (1975). A History of The Latymer School at Edmonton. The Latymer Foundation at Edmonton. ISBN 978-0-9504862-0-8.