Old Schools

Some well known - Old established schools

Old School Systems

Board Schools
The Education Act of 1870 divided the country into districts, each administered by a School Board. The schools were non-religious and undenominational. The first opened in 1872. In 1902 Board Schools became Council Schools

British Schools
Set up in 1810 by the British and Foreign Schools Society nonconformist body. There were 1,500 of these by 1851. Their special feature was the use of the monitorial system, where older children taught the younger ones under the supervision of paid staff.

Chantry Schools
These were often attached to the mediaeval chantries, endowed for priests to pray for the souls of the founder and his family. Henry Viii closed down the chantries but some of the schools were refounded, as at Alcester, where the Free School in Birch Abbey continued and eventually became known as the Grammar School.

Dame Schools
Private elementary schools run by women in their houses, with a fee of 3d or 4d a week

National Schools
The National Society for the Education of the Poor in thePrinciples of the Established Church was formed in l811. By 185l the Society controlled over 17,000 schools. Alcester's school in School Road was a National School. The 187O Education Act, which provided free education for poor children led to the Society's decline.

Ragged Schools
A Portsmouth cobbler in 1818 provided a school entirely free for the poorest children By l869 there were 200 of these, helped by Lord Shaftesbury.

Autumn 1990 Index

© Alcester & District Local History Society 1990