St. Laurence Church

St Laurence CofE School is regarded as being founded in 1714 by the Revd Dr William Worth, Rector of St Laurence.  However, there is evidence of the churchwardens paying 16 shillings and 7 pennies for benches and forms and a blackboard for a school back in in 1622.  Under Dr Worth lessons were held in the church until the ‘old school’ was built.  The latter  can still be seen just off Church Hill and has been converted to residential use.

The Church of England has a long tradition of being involved in education and the Diocese of Birmingham continues to invest over £330,00 each year in supporting church schools.

There is a strong relationship between St Laurence Church and today’s Infant and Junior Schools (as Northfield grew so did the school and split to become separate Infant and Junior Schools.)

The church PCC appoints some of the governors to each school, we pray for the schools regularly and we support the parents’ school prayer group.  The clergy and members of St Laurence Church regularly lead Collective Worship in school.  In this we are pleased to work ecumenically with members and ministers of other local churches.   We support the RE curriculum with visits and meetings with the RE co-ordinator.   Pupils regularly come over to church for services and visits.

St Laurence Church Mothers’ Union has presented the school with a ‘Pastoral Book Box’ containing books about family life, moving house, illness, bereavement, disabilities and anxiety.

A church has probably stood on the current hill-top site for over a thousand years – the Domesday Book refers to a priest living in ‘Northfeld.’  St Laurence Church is one of four Grade 1 listed medieval churches remaining in Birmingham. It reflects building styles down the centuries and includes a Norman door (the oldest piece of architecture in Birmingham,) a very fine and largely unaltered medieval chancel and beautiful Victorian stained glass windows.

The area around the church is a Conservation Area and includes the Nailmakers’ Cottages, the old Pound, the old School and the Great Stone Inn.  To find out more about the local history look at the Northfield Revealed section of the church website.

The church is a Parish Church and if you live in the parish, you have the right to be baptized, married or have your funeral in church.  The church is surrounded by a large churchyard which is still open for burials.  For enquiries about such services, please contact the parish office.