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The architect Mr W Ellis of St Helens was commissioned to design the college, and work started on 11 January 1933. In september of that year the college was opened with 63 pupils, the Rev Br D B McDonald was the first headmaster.
10 years later, in 1943, the school roll stood at 366 and 10 years after that it had risen to 461. The school was over full, but due to building regulations imposed by the war, it was not possible to erect further buildings on the college site.
A search was then started to find an existing suitable building. Interest was first shown in the building on the opposite corner of Manor Hill and Egerton Road, but the Bishop of Shrewsbury wanted the house for a Children's Home. |
| Redcourt had been used during the war by the Civil Defence, but was now empty. The Brothers bought Redcourt for £3,250 with the intention of relocating the Prep Department and some younger senior pupils in order to create more space on the main college site.
The purchase was completed on 16 January 1946 and plans for the conversion of the buildings to a school were drawn up by E R Montgomery of Liverpool. The work was estimated to cost £4,286 and included electrics, plumbing, central heating, re-decoration, playground and the conversion of the conservatory into a 'wash block'. Great difficulty was experienced in acquiring a licence for the refurbishment from the Ministry of Works, and the programme was held up for five months, and was only granted after the intervention of Councillor William Power and Mr P Collick, Member of Parliament for Birkenhead West.
The new school was opened on the first day of the Pentecost Term 1947. The Preparatory Department and the first year of the senior school, a total of 197 boys, moved to the new school.
The first Headmaster at Redcourt was Brother H F Malone and the teaching staff included Brother P T Owens, Brother Declan Chalmers, Mr Gonzaga Lyons, Miss Catherine McGee, Mr John Farrell and Mr H Wood. The fees for the school were 7 guineas (£7.35) per term.
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