Grammar
Within Peterborough these were Kings School (sometimes the
Cathedral Grammar School, or the Free Grammar School) founded in
1541 by Henry VIII; Deacons School (or Mr Deacons Charity School)
endowed under the Will of Thomas Deacon; and County Girls School,
founded in the early 1900's.
Kings was administered by the Dean & Chapter under the terms
of the Cathedral statutes until 1882, when its management came
under a Board of Governors created under an Endowed Schools Scheme.
Originally housed in the Cathedral Precincts (as it provided the
schooling for the choristers), the school moved to purpose-built
buildings in Park Road in 1885. Thomas Deacon, a local merchant,
endowed the school that bears his name. His Will was written in
1719 and it's clear that the school already existed then, but was
probably of recent origin. Another charity school, founded by Mrs
Ann Ireland, was apparently merged with it c1840. Deacons School
was administered by the Feoffees until 1881 when, like Kings, it
came under a Board of Governors established by a formal Charity
Scheme. The School was in situated in Cowgate until 1883 when it
moved to new premised in Crown Lane (shortly after re-named Deacon
Street), moving to Kings Gardens in 1960. Lastly, it had to wait
until the operation of the 1902 Education Act before state
schooling was provided for girls' education. Initially this was as
a Pupil Teachers Centre for girls (the boy pupil teachers were
trained at Deacons School) which was established by the Soke County
Council in 1904. In or shortly after 1907 it became a Girls Grammar
School, and moved from temporary accommodation to a purpose-built
school in Lincoln Road in 1911 (it closed in 1982 to allow for the
opening of the Ken Stimpson School at Werrington).
Printed sources:
- A history of The King's School, Peterborough by W D
Larrett. (Old Petriburgians Association, 1966).
- "Admission register of The King's School, Peterborough,
1851-1908". (Unpublished typescript by PS Bush, 1972).
- A chronicle of Mr Deacon's charity School, Peterborough,
1722-1983 by W Saul. (?The author, 1983).
- "Deacon's School, Peterborough, 1902-1920: a study of the
social and economic function of secondary schooling" / by B A
Blades. (Unpublished PhD thesis, London University, 2003).
- 'The Chronicle, 1953/54 [County Girls magazine]. Jubilee
Number, 1904-1954'. (The School, 1954).
Elementary (roughly equivalent to nursery/primary
schooling)
Schools provided before 1902 for mass education were sponsored
either by the Church of England through the National Schools
Society and therefore called National Schools, or by
non-conformists through the British & Foreign School Society,
and thus called British Schools. Such schools were all largely
maintained by voluntary effort, but from the 1830's could attract
Government grants. Eventually, government began to impose
administrative requirements on those schools receiving grants, such
as inspection, higher performance, compulsory attendance, and a
compulsory leaving age. Ultimately the 1902 Education Act brought
all these schools under state control, to be administered by the
appropriate local authorities.
The first National School in Peterborough was built in Newtown
in 1824; others were built in Church of England parishes when they
were created, although St Marks took over the Central National
School in Newtown when the parish boundary with St Johns was
altered, forcing St John's to build schools in Albert Place in
1860. The schools at New England were built and maintained by the
Great Northern Railway Co., but seemingly administered by the St
Mark's parish, and subsequently by St Paul's.
The main British School was split between a school (for girls
and infants) in Westgate opened in 1853, and a boys school in New
Road opened in 1859. There was also a small British School at
Millfield. The Roman Catholics apparently sent their children to
the British School until they made provision within their church
buildings.
In the Soke most villages each had a small National School, and
following an Act of 1870 those villages without a school could
'combine' with an adjoining one which had, and would be managed by
a Board of Governors (hence they were known as 'Board Schools').
Locally there were three groups of 'combining' parishes: Maxey
(with its hamlets ?), Northborough (with Etton and Deeping Gate)
and Wansford (with Thornhaugh), all formed in 1876.
Printed sources:
"Elementary education in Peterborough 1824-1902" by K G Brown.
(Unpublished Dip.Ed. Dissertation, Nottingham University,
1971).
A brief outline of the growth of Elementary Education
in...the City of Peterborough since 1800. (second revision,
Northern Area Education Office, Peterborough, 1990).
And for individual schools:
- The history of the old railway church schools [at New
England]. (?for New England School Old Boys, 1961).
- A history of Newark School, Oxney Road, 1872-1979 by
Jean Horswood. (Peterborough Teachers Centre, 1979).
- Roman Catholic Schools in Peterborough: a history by P
Waszak. (Peterborough Arts Council & Fr. Paul Hypher,
1984).
Secondary (Age 11+)
The 1918 Education Act extended the compulsory school leaving
age from 10 to 14, and in response to this some schools developed
buildings or classes, especially for "Senior Boys". However, the
Hadow Report of 1926 actually recommended a division of schooling,
with those over the age of 11 going on to "Secondary Schools". As
it was only a recommendation, it was not universally adopted by
education authorities at first, until enshrined in the 1944
Education Act. In Peterborough the earliest specific provision for
'Senior Boys' was actually made in 1916, but further
re-organisation of schools for this purpose did not come until the
1930's.
Local Education Authorities (to 1974)
Under the 1876 Education Act the City Council became responsible
for School Attendance in the Borough, as did the Board of Guardians
in the remainder Peterborough Union. Both administered this duty
until 1903. Then the 1902 Education Act came into operation. The
City Council became responsible for 'elementary' education (making
it a "Part III" Authority, a reference to the particular
sub-division of the Act) within the Borough, whilst the Soke County
Council took on 'Higher Education' (including the City schools of
Kings, Deacons and County Girls) together with the Technical
School, and also the 'elementary' schools in the rural Soke. These
two separate groups of responsibilities were amalgamated in April
1945 under the Peterborough Joint Education Board, until the county
boundary changes of 1965. All education matters then became
administered by Huntingdon & Peterborough County Council, but
Peterborough City could and did apply for delegated powers (under
the 1958 Local Govt Act) to provide the day-to-day running of
primary and secondary schools within the Borough (which was
referred to as 'the Excepted Area'). This situation existed until
April 1974.
Printed sources:
- "Peterborough. A Part III Authority, 1902-1929" / by B M
Chambers. (Unpublished MA Dissertation, London University,
1983).
- "Provision, personnel and practice in primary schools in
Peterborough 1929-1974" / by B M Chambers. (PhD thesis, London
University, 1999).
Private
There were also a number of private-owned schools in
Peterborough in the nineteenth century, such as Thomas Smith's
Classical & Commercial Academy, John Whesterby's School and the
Willoughby's 'Westgate House School'. Once the elementary schools
became state run after the 1902, most of the private ones
disappeared. Prominent among those which did survive were Laurel
Court School (Miss Van Dissell and Miss Gibson), which closed
c1928, and the High School for Girls (Miss Hill, later Miss
Mansfield), which was due to close in 1935 but ultimately
transferred to Westwood House.
Records
Peterborough Archives Service:
Deacon's School Archive
- Includes admission registers, governors minutes and
photographs.
Please contact the Peterborough Archives Service if you would
like to view this collection.
Peterborough Technical College
- Copies of the Technene Magazine (1948-1949)
An inventory of this collection is available for consultation in
the Local Studies and Archive Room at Peterborough Central
Library.
Huntingdon Record Office:
Records of about 120 Huntingdonshire schools, 41 City of
Peterborough schools, and 11 Soke of Peterborough schools. Most
records include log books, admission registers, managers minutes
and so on, although for a handful of schools there are only
architects' plans or reports. Some schools have kept their old log
books and admission registers for educational purposes.
Huntingdon Record Office holds records for the following
Peterborough Schools:
- Bainton CE School
- Barnack CE School
- Castor CE School
- Eye CE School
- Glinton CE School
- Helpston CP School
- Marholm CE School
- Maxey CP School
- Northborough CP School
- Thornhaugh CP School
- Wittering CP School
- All Saints CP School, Dogsthorpe Road
- All Souls RC School, Manor House Street
- Brook Street County School
- Central National School (Girls), Nelson Street
- Cobden Street, British School (later Cromwell Road)
- Eastholm County School
- Fulbridge County School
- Gladstone CP School
- County Grammar School
- Gunthorpe CP School
- Highlees CP School, Westwood
- John Mansfield School
- Lincoln Road Girls Council School
- London Road Nursery School
- Jack Hunt School (known by the architect as Westwood
Comprehensive)
- John Mansfield School (known by the architect as Dogsthorpe
North SM Girls School)
- Newark CE School
- New England Infants School
- New England National Boys' School
- New England Girls' School
- New Fletton County School
- New Town National Schools (Nelson Street)
- Orchard Street CP School, Woodston/Orton Longueville
- Queens Drive CP School
- St Johns CE Boys School, Albert Place
- St Marks CE School (later Gladstone CP School)
- St Marys Boys School, New Road
- St Peters College Practising School, City Road
- Walton Schools
- Werrington CP School
- Westgate British Infants School
- Woodston Urban School
- Woodston CP School
Records of pre-1870 parochial and charitable schools in the
Peterborough area are held at Northamptonshire Record Office.
Northamptonshire Record Office also holds:
Peterborough Cathedral Grammar School (National Register of
Archives)
- 1818-1966 : letter books, admission registers, scrapbooks
etc.
Held at Northampton Record Office. (Reference: 1972/220).
Westwood House School, Peterborough (National Register of
Archives) (Private School)
- 1939-62 : financial and management records.
Held at Northamptonshire Record Office (Reference: 1974/48).
Correspondence files relating to Peterborough Schools are listed
under Soke of Peterborough County
Council.
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