History of our School, Balgowan Primary

The school was built in 1914-15 and served as an auxiliary war hospital during World War I.  A memorial commemorating the role of the school during this period is located in the main school hall. The hospital provided care to 5257 Eastern Command soldiers.

In 1920 Balgowan returned to its original purpose of providing education for local children.  There were four classes of approximately 46 infants in each and 330 secondary aged pupils (11-14 years of age).  Balgowan Boys Technical School and Balgowan Girls School shared the school hall, but were separate schools on this site.
The boys school was the forerunner of Kelsey Park School (now Harris Academy Beckenham) and the girls school was the forerunner of Cator Park (now Harris Academy Bromley).  Following the re-organisation of education in Kent in the years after the Second World War, Balgowan became a primary school.

The school benefited from a major building project in 1996 which included new classrooms for Reception and Year 2 pupils and a music practice room  to enable regular instrumental lessons to be taught by specialist teachers.

The school field with its brick built pavilion, is situated in Westbury Road, only a few minutes walk away from the main school building in Balgowan Road.  Sports days, PTA social events, day to day physical education activities and competitive sports fixtures take place at the field.  The Physical Education curriculum is further enhanced by the school’s two hard playing surfaces and its purpose built gymnasium.

The school continues to develop its grounds, with landscaped gardens and trim trails on both our Infant and Junior playgrounds.