British Boy's School, Downton

The school was built in the middle of the Borough in 1841 on land leased by Lord Radnor. It provided elementary (all age) education, without any particular religious bias towards any group’s views, and was largely used by non-conformist families. The infants were taught at the British Girls’ School that opened at the western end of the Borough in 1847. By 1857 there were 88 pupils and the school was said to be ‘a model of good management and efficiency’.

School log books only survive from 1890 but they do cast an interesting light on late Victorian education in rural Wiltshire. A wide range of subjects was covered – reading, grammar, physical exercise and some craft activities. On occasions the older boys visited the tannery and had each of the processes explained to them. The Tannery manager provided a prize for the best essay about the visit. On other occasions the boys were shown some experiments with electricity using apparatus borrowed from the evening school. Entertainment was provided by events such as a lantern slide show on the Lake District and listening to a gramophone that had been loaned to the school. Current events featured when news of the Boer War from daily newspapers (Daily Chronicle and the Standard) was read to the boys.

Holidays were fairly standard with 2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks at Easter and 4 or 5 weeks Harvest Holiday in August and early September. There were special half and whole day holidays including one in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and a half holiday to celebrate the relief of Ladysmith on March 1st 1900 during the Boer War.

There were also many unofficial absences with boys left at home for harvest work, or just playing truant. Some boys took jobs although they were under the legal age for employment and when a Wild West show was performing locally, in 1896, a total of 32 boys were away from school! Illnesses and epidemics also caused boys to miss school quite often. In November 1892 many boys had mumps or scarletina and eventually the school had to be closed for 2 weeks. The school was also closed for an outbreak of measles in 1895. Illnesses were often serious and in 1896 a boy died from consumption and pneumonia. Teachers were not immune either with one catching scarletina and another dying from phthisis – a disease of the lungs similar to tuberculosis.

Apart from times of epidemics attendances at school were good, with over 100 attending in November 1891. This was exceptional but average attendances were increasing dramatically: 65 in 1890; 75 in 1891; 98 in 1892; 114 in 1893 when there was a total of 131 boys on the register. By 1895 there were 138 boys on the register and attendances were well over 100.




The school was obviously successful in the early 1890s but the pressure of numbers created problems. New lavatories were needed in 1890 and it was suggested that a new school should be planned. In 1891 the H.M.I. report stated, ‘Further improvement is shown in the Elementary work, and the school presents a very creditable appearance in respect of discipline.’ However the new lavatories had still not been built. In 1893 the report said. ‘As regards general plan the premises are not convenient or suitable for the purpose of a school on account of the excessive size and width of the main room which involves a great strain on the teacher.’ They felt that the building should not be recognised as a school the next year and encouraged the school management to plan a new school. Despite this the grant of £99.15s. 0d (£99.75p) was given, part of which paid the salaries of the headmaster, a certified teacher and a paid monitor.

In December 1893 the school was handed over to the Downton School Board and in 1894 the school was officially closed but the building remained in use until the new school was built in Gravel Close. H.M.I reports for 1894 and 1895 were satisfactory with the grant in the latter year being £112. In February 1895 the old school closed and the boys began a new life, with the girls and infants, in the new Gravel Close School on 17th February 1896. The old school became a parish hall and formed the core of the Memorial Hall. Further information will be found under Gravel Close School.