County Elementary School, South Newton

A National School, with a teacher’s house, was built in South Newton village in 1838; in 1846 it had 58 pupils. In 1858 the Rev. William Warburton, HM Inspector of Schools, described South Newton National School as a \"tidy, well-conducted little school\". There was a certificated schoolmistress and a pupil teacher. The schoolroom, where 30-40 girls and boys were taught, measured 40 ft. x 16 ft. x 14 ft. The pupils came from Chilhampton and Stoford, in addition to the village of South Newton itself.

The log books from the school survive from January 1863. As in many schools of the period, attendance was a major preoccupation for the schoolteacher as the amount of annual government grant to be received depended upon the numbers of children on roll and the percentages of those attending. Like many rural schools, however, attendance was affected by the farming year, with children helping with various agricultural activities. References to such absences appear from the beginning of the log books: on 28 July 1863, for example there was a very small attendance, 'the elder children being wanted by their parents’… and on 11th August of the same year 'only the smaller children have attended this week, as the barley harvest is not yet over'; a fortnight later the older children had still not returned to school after the harvest. The school summer holidays themselves were centred around the harvest.

Other farming activities intruded on the children's schooling: 'setting' potatoes and, later, picking them; taking their fathers' dinners to the fields; stone-picking, and the boys going 'nutting' in Grovely Wood. On the other hand, on May 29 1865, the schoolteacher records that 'several children sent for leave to stay at home while their mothers are gone to work'. Nevertheless, the course of the school ran smoothly for much of the time, with the words, 'all going on as usual' recorded repeatedly.

'Object' lessons, in addition to those of reading, writing and arithmetic, included such diverse subjects as the horse, glass, the Temple, the Dreams of Pharaoh, creation of the world, and the cow. Inspections by both Diocesan and HM Inspectors were carried out regularly, the former concentrating in particular on the religious learning of the children. Over the course of the school's history inspection reports were variable - sometimes focussing on areas of teaching, learning and curriculum which were considered deficient or effective, and sometimes more generally congratulatory or critical.

The School Manager at the beginning of the period recorded in the log books was the Rev. Penruddocke and for the ensuing thirty years he and his wife played an active part in the operation of the school, sometimes teaching supplementary lessons such as singing, or sewing, but at other times providing treats for the children, such as on March 10 1863 which was declared a holiday to mark the Prince of Wales' wedding. On this occasion 'the Vicar treated eighty-eight children with cake and tea…'.

Other activities, both formally sanctioned or not, to mark local and national events and customs also intervened: children carrying their garlands about the village on May Day, going to the fair at Salisbury, members of the choir going to the opening of the Union chapel at Wilton, the Vicar's annual treat, again, of tea and cake, after a trip to Old Sarum, and a number of older children travelling to Salisbury to see the review of the Wiltshire Yeomanry by HRH the Duke of Connaught on May 17 1892.

The names of Rev. and Mrs. Penruddocke are absent from the log books from 1894, their final treat of tea and sports in the vicarage grounds being reported on August 28 1893. Now the vicar was recorded as Rev. I.E.G. Bond.

Incidences of diseases such as measles and mumps were recorded – and on occasion these were fatal; steps were taken to prevent their spread by excluding affected children and their siblings temporarily. When, in May 1877, there was a smallpox case in Chilhampton, all the children from that village were absent for that month and the next. Regular visits by doctor, nurse and dentist, particularly at the beginning of the 20th century, ensured that both the health and hygiene of the pupils was monitored.

Attendance continued to be of the first importance and this was affected detrimentally when, in January 1881, the charge to the pupils for their education at the school was raised from 1d. to 2d. per week. Apparent resistance to this by some families is evident in that a number of children continued to arrive at school with the one penny, only to be sent home again; however, the matter appears to have settled and school life continued into the late years of the nineteenth century, when a holiday was given for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, and on into the twentieth.

In January 1909 there were 55 pupils on roll. According to a report by the HM Inspectors of this period,
The room is inconveniently crowded, being only 15 feet wide and the desks are inconvenient. The addition of a class room is indispensable and the ventilation should be improved. The space assigned for play ground is very small and the offices are built of wood. The diamond panes should be replaced by ordinary glazing.

However, in November of the same year W.F. Robinson, now Vicar and Chairman of Managers, noted that there had been a regrettable decrease in pupil numbers, not in any way as a result of dissatisfaction with the school, but due mainly to a number of families having left the parish; more unmarried workers being employed locally, and the attendance of children at schools closer to their homes, such as those at Wishford and Wilton.

An average attendance of 38 children was recorded for the week of November 12 1909, and shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, May16 1913, the attendance of 34 was recorded as 72 per cent of the total number of children on roll.

Little mention is made of the events of the First World War and any effects on pupils, but when news of the signing of the Armistice arrived at the school on 11 November, the school assembled, the vicar arrived to speak to the children, God Save the King was sung and the remainder of the afternoon was given as a holiday. The following year the school observed the wishes of the King by remaining silent for two minutes in order to reflect on the fallen in the War.

A happy and memorable event for the children took place in June 1920 when Bronco Bill paid a visit to Salisbury. The consequent depletion of school attendees was duly noted in the log book.

The fact that at times important national events impinged on the life of the school is reflected in the reference to the General Strike in an entry by the Diocesan Inspector on May 11 1926. Having delivered a positive report on the school's work, the Inspector stated,
I was particularly struck with a short prayer composed by the Teacher, and repeated by the children with her, in reference to the strike…


Two years later, whilst still receiving good inspection reports, the school had an even more greatly reduced number of children on the roll: in April 1928 there were 30 pupils.

On October 3 1929, the schoolteacher, Miss Hanham, recorded an exciting find:
Mr. F. Hibberd, a former pupil of this school, found a beautifully polished stone trancher or chisel, belonging to the Neolithic or New Stone Age. On Oct. 4th he gave the tool to me, and on the following day I took it to Salisbury Museum. It is dated 2000 to 6000 B.C. I am having a case made and we hope in the near future to preserve the tool in school. It was found near the Devizes Road (South Newton side) on ploughed land rented by Sir J. Macklin.

More recent technology, however, was also becoming part of the school's life: At the end of January 1930 the radio was used to enable all the children to listen to the King's speech at the opening of the Naval Disarmament Conference. Whilst comprehension of the content of the speech was beyond the younger pupils, all, it was recorded, had great satisfaction in hearing the voice of the King. Later in the year the radio would again be used to listen to the Armistice Day service at the Cenotaph, and reception would be 'perfect'.

Older traditions still persisted, however: On May 1 1930, as it was such a beautiful day a short talk on May Day was followed by the crowning of the Queen and King of the May on the school frontage. The log book records that there was no time for elaborate preparation: 'Most of the children dressed in the dinner hour – and the others just after. After the crowning May Day games were played in the playground'.

When the last Head Teacher in the history of South Newton School began her duties on July 4, 1932, there were only 29 pupils on the roll. By the end of April 1935, there were just 23. A few days later a day's holiday was given to celebrate King George V’s Silver Jubilee. Amongst the local celebrations, tea and commemorative mugs were given to the children.

On May 15 1935, however, the schoolmistress was informed that the school would close on July 31 and that the children would be expected to attend Great Wishford School, which, due to the opening of the new Senior School at Wilton, would become a Junior School. Five of school's children would attend the new Senior School.

On July 31 1935 the headteacher's final log book entry read:
The oldest log book dates from January 12th 1863, the first entry being:
“Jan 12th 1863: School re-commenced after the Christmas holidays”. Before the school finally closed, the mothers of the children paid a surprise visit to the school, to voice their appreciation of the work of the school. They made farewell gifts of a handsome jug of flowers to the Head Teacher, and a case of fruit spoons to the Assistant Teacher.

Ethel Winzar
Last Head Teacher of South Newton School