National School, Broughton Gifford

A charity school existed in 1782. Francis and Betty Paradice gave £500 to be invested in order to pay £20 per year for a schoolmaster and to instruct 20 children. Any residue of the dividend was distributed at Christmas to the poor of the parish. By 1819 there were 20 free scholars and 12 paid scholars. There were 82 children who attended the Sunday school. In 1828 and 1833 two other schools were founded, catering for 10 boys and 13 girls. Two Sunday and day schools had, in 1846, 54 boys and 50 girls. In 1852 the site and buildings were conveyed in trust by Reverend J. Wilkinson, to the rector and the churchwardens.

In 1853 a building grant of £90 was made by the state and just over £463 was raised by local subscription resulting in the rebuilding of the school by 1856. By 1858, 40 pupils attended the National School, 20 of them free of charge. Richard F. Long added to the trust property in 1871, and in 1872 another state grant provided an additional building. The school masters house was also added at this time. The numbers attending increased to 161 pupils with an average attendance of 93. The school was again enlarged in the early 1900s, having 120 scholars in 1907, divided between three classes. The school log book of 1917 mentions an epidemic of scarlet fever, a visit by the dentist who extracted and filled the pupil’s teeth, and a head inspection for lice. Half day holidays were permitted for picking blackberries and a half day holiday was also held to celebrate Armistice Day in 1918. The Inspector’s report mentions a ‘need for improvement’ which was achieved by 1923, perhaps due to a change in headship.

Pictured here is the former head teacher's house.

Further information will be found under St.Mary's Broughton Gifford V.C. C. of E. Primary School