Aldbourne Schools

Photograph of the 1856 National School - which was demolished in 1963 — *The 1856 school – Demolished 1963*

Photograph of Junior School group - 1904 — *Junior School group – 1904*

The earliest recording of a school in the village is from 1668 and was run by dissenters. In 1736 a ‘schoolmaster’ was recorded as living in Aldbourne. It is believed that a small room over the porch at St Michael’s was the school room but it had ceased by 1783. There was also a ‘school’ in a building adjoining the ‘Priests Cottage’ (behind 20 West Street). This cottage was destroyed in the ‘great’ fire of 1777. By 1833 there were five schools with 84 pupils recorded in the village. Mostly run as ‘free’ schools by the Methodists. There were also dames’ schools and a National School was built in 1839 which had 4 qualified teachers by 1848.

Woodsend and Snap

Photograph of The Old School from Back Lane — *The Old School from Back Lane*

Photograph of Infants School group - 1921 — *Infants School group – 1921*

In 1812, Jane Bridgman paid for a school for 16 local children in Snap whilst at Woodsend another National School was established in 1856, as a result of local fund raising. In 1913 this school closed and the remaining pupils had to travel to the school in Aldbourne.

Aldbourne

In 1856 a Gothic-styled school of brick and flint was built on land donated by the Brown family. By 1858, eighty to one hundred pupils of various denominations were being taught at the school. By 1898 there were 185 pupils but this fell to 103 by 1938.

Photograph of Junior School group, taken inside the school - 1929 — *Junior School group – Standards 5, 6 & 7 – 1929*

In 1873 an infants’ school was added.

In 1963 most of the old school was demolished to make way for new buildings.

In 2013, the remaining room of the old school was taken back by the main school to cope with the rise in pupil numbers. There are now 161 pupils on the school register.

The old school consisted of one big room with a thick curtain

Photograph of school class: Back Row: Miss Susan Bailey, Helen Keen, Dawn Cook, Ann Sewell, Lindsey Cullis, Beverley Barrett, Dorothy Barnes, Christine Slade; - 3rd Row: Johnny Edwards, Jennifer Westall, Kim Turner, Mary Mabbutt, Phillip Miles, Jennifer Pickworth, Sean Gilligan, Susan Curtis, Derek Stacey; - 2nd Row: Elizabeth Barnes, Sharon Palmer, Barbara Reed, Susan Hill, June Keast, Geraldine Jones, Christine Wilkins, Betty Curtis; - Front Row: Alan Turpie, Keith Joiner, Walter Hill, Richard Jenkins, Adrian Keen, Keith Orchard, Stewart Hale & David Heron — Back Row: Miss Susan Bailey, Helen Keen, Dawn Cook, Ann Sewell, Lindsey Cullis, Beverley Barrett, Dorothy Barnes, Christine Slade; – 3rd Row: Johnny Edwards, Jennifer Westall, Kim Turner, Mary Mabbutt, Phillip Miles, Jennifer Pickworth, Sean Gilligan, Susan Curtis, Derek Stacey; – 2nd Row: Elizabeth Barnes, Sharon Palmer, Barbara Reed, Susan Hill, June Keast, Geraldine Jones, Christine Wilkins, Betty Curtis; – Front Row: Alan Turpie, Keith Joiner, Walter Hill, Richard Jenkins, Adrian Keen, Keith Orchard, Stewart Hale & David Heron

separating the two classes. Slates and chalk sticks were used until, when deemed good

Photograph of school class: Back Row: 2 Americans, Keith Reed, Jane Gibbs, Andrew Deuchar, Janet Turpie, Clive Fisher; Middle Row: Denise Keen, Linda Gibbs, unknown, Rosemary Hartley, Susan Stacey, unknown; Front Row: Jimmy Kimber, Mark Harding, Steven Robertson, Nigel Ludlow. — *Back Row: 2 Americans, Keith Reed, Jane Gibbs, Andrew Deuchar, Janet Turpie, Clive Fisher; –* *Middle Row: Denise Keen, Linda Gibbs, unknown, Rosemary Hartley, Susan Stacey, unknown; –* *Front Row: Jimmy Kimber, Mark Harding, Steven Robertson, Nigel Ludlow.*

enough, you were issued with pens with long thin handles and renewable nibs. Little bottles of ink were fitted into the holes in the corners of the desks.

There was a room at the end of the school where the teacher lived.

A large cast iron stove placed in the middle of the room gave out the only heat and those nearest got very hot whilst those furthest away could be really cold.

The older boys were designated ‘coke monitors’ whose role was to fill the scuttles with coal and place them beside the stove but they were not allowed to put any coal in the fire!

Photograph of Laying the Foundation Stone of the new School in the early 1960s — *Laying the Foundation Stone of the new School*

The toilets were very primitive – just buckets behind wooden doors, which had to be emptied every day.

Photograph of the newly built St Michael's School - 1963 — *The newly built St Michael’s School – 1963*

Photograph of School Class inside new school - 1992 — *School Classroom – 1992 ?; ?; ?; ?; Claire Prizeman; Thomas Cull; Alicia Hagerty; Holly Smith (at back); Ben Hulford; Marilyn Vizor [teacher]; Alison French; ?*

Photograph of children in class in the new school — *Children in class – new school*

Photograph of Display Panel 2015 - Aldbourne Schools — *Display Panel 2015 – Aldbourne Schools*