St.Mary's Broughton Gifford V.C. C. of E. Primary

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.

In 1867 the school was in two sections with two classes in each. The lower school had the first and second standard and the upper school the third and fourth standards. No infants were at the school at this time. The average attendance was 75 pupils. Generally speaking there was a low level of intelligence, as commented on in the school log books. The school was visited regularly by Reverend Wilkinson who often took prayers and inspected the registers. Pupils were disciplined and punished for such things as 'wilful disobedience' and 'truancy.' They were warned not to leave the school playground during recess, and occasionally kept behind if they had not performed well earlier in the school day. For example, they may have to sing a hymn again that had been badly sung at morning prayers. They formed into ranks before entering school in the morning and the 'dull wet weather' could have a 'troublesome' effect on the children. They were tested regularly in a variety of subjects, especially scripture. In the year 1867 there were a number of absences due to chicken pox. On New Years Day 1868 the school day finished one hour early at 3 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. During the month of January the attendance was low due to the roads being impassable and the weather could frequently have a detrimental effect on the school attendance figures. Mrs. Wilkinson, the Rector's wife, inspected the needlework on a weekly basis, although it was actually taught by Miss Alexander.

Ten of the children from the Upper section travelled to Shaw in March 1868, to attend the Diocesan Prize scheme.

There were two days holiday at Easter, these being Good Friday and Easter Monday, but children could also have time off for helping in the fields especially at harvest.

In 1869 the school apparatus was listed as 20 Bibles, 20 testaments, 20 catechisms, 10 maps, 1 alphabet sheet, 3 reading sheets, 1 ball frame, 112 reading books, 12 chronological histories, 10 national school histories, 6 British islands and colonies, 18 national school elements, 2 boxes of pens, 5 gross pencils, 100 penholders, 90 pencil cases and a small bundle of miscellaneous books.

Church was attended on Ash Wednesday giving a half day holiday and on May 25th 1869 many attended a Fair in a neighbouring village. There was also a school treat on July 30th. Punishments were enforced for disobedience, truancy and poorly executed work. By the beginning of August many were absent to help with the harvest and a three week break began on August 13th 1869.

A sample of lessons from 1870 included history lessons on King John, Henry III and Edward I, geography lessons on English mountains, sea ports and rivers, religious instruction on the conversion of Saul, the parable of the rich man and the learning of the catechism, paying particular attention to the duty towards your neighbour. Also in this year the Rector presented the school with a new clock and bell.

The size of the main schoolroom was 27 feet 6 inches by 16 feet; this was enlarged to 42 feet by 16 feet. The smaller classroom measured 12 feet by 9 feet and was enlarged to 27 feet by 16 feet. There was a new infant room as well. These improvements were carried out in the early 1870s when a new school master's house was also added to the school site.

Absences were common for a variety of reasons, perhaps a local fair such as the one of August 1870 that took place in Bradford on Avon, or apple picking at the end of September. In October a circus visited Melksham causing more absences and great excitement and the children were also engaged in acorn picking. The school master frequently despaired of the lack of attendance and hoped that it would soon become compulsory. He says in October 1870 'I have used my intense endeavours to put a stop to it, but quite unsuccessfully.' He also mentions the difficulty of keeping order due to overcrowding, especially when the pupils were engaged in writing, and he had occasion to punish a pupil for throwing stones at his mother, and another for beating a small boy when out of school. The school was visited regularly by the rector and his wife, who inspected the needlework. Sir Charles Hobhouse would also visit the school perhaps once or twice a year.

Sickness and severe weather could prevent attendance, especially during the winter months and the school was susceptible to closure should a small epidemic of a particular illness break out. This could be something like measles or scarlatina. The inspector's report commented on the 'inequality in the children's attainments' and also remarked that 'the area is insufficient for the average attendance'. So the enlargement of the school in 1871 was a huge improvement. It required the pupils to move to the church while the building work was executed during September of that year. The next report from the government inspector in early December 1871 comments that 'discipline is good' and 'examination satisfactory'. He suggests that an accurate account and cash book should be kept.

1872 sees poor attendance due to 'bird-minding' and 'dropping potatoes' as well as 'stubbling'. Reading was improving due to books being changed more regularly and a new rule was introduced that prevented a child from being admitted to school after prayers. This resulted in one child waiting outside in the street until the bell had ceased ringing and then returning home. He then had to be fetched and brought into school needless to say. The cost for attending school increased in January 1873 to 3d. for the first child of a tradesman and 2d. for subsequent children; and 2d. for the first child of a weaver or farm labourer and 1d. for any subsequent children. Non resident tradesman and weavers were charged 4d. and 3d. accordingly.

In 1874 some special subjects were added to the timetable, these being physical geography and history, covering the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The headmaster was concerned that the pupil teacher and the monitors were not keeping proper order, and the whole school was kept in until 5.30 p.m. on July 3rd due to numerous absences in the morning. One child had his name crossed of the register due to being convicted of stealing wheat and another was sent home because he had contracted ringworm.

In 1875 the timetable and the school day was altered to suit the season. For example the school would finish earlier due to the darkness but playtime would be cancelled to compensate. A child is mentioned who had been 'boarded out 'by the Bradford on Avon Guardians, and her attendance was poor, possibly due to illnesses within the household. She was actually found gleaning in the fields, so the master reported back to the Board of Guardians. He also mentions that an Act regarding the employment of children in agriculture was disregarded and wondered how helpful a child actually could be when working in the fields. In April 1875 a total of 87 children were examined. They had been taught poetry such as 'The Village Blacksmith' by Longfellow as well as one hundred lines from Paradise Lost and these pieces might be used for recitation. The inspector's report of 1876 comments on some subjects being weak, the lighting and heating being poor, and the desks not of a 'convenient size or shape'. A new rector, the Reverend A. Broderick, was installed in December 1876 and he continued to play an active role in the school by examining the registers and regularly visiting and taking prayers.

In September 1877 the school was closed for an extra week due to the repairs of the building not being complete. However, these repairs did result in a new window giving better light, and stoves in each room. The attendance in June of 1877 was 104 children and the average attendance in 1878 was 92 children. In January 1878 the first certificate of proficiency was awarded in standard three, this being a result of the 1876 Education Act. The school could be affected severely by outbreaks of illness, and was closed from January 28th 1878 to March 4th because of an outbreak of scarlet fever. The next two inspector's reports comment on a good and fair performance and good discipline. In 1881 prizes were awarded for pupils who had attended more than 350 days in one year and in 1882-3 the reports comment on much improvement and credit the master for this. Punishments were given for truancy, disobedience, inattention to duty, roughness to others, loitering and lateness, and taking money from another pupil.

The school was closed again in April 1884 for five weeks due to an outbreak of scarlatina and again from May to July for the same reason. The following year it was closed for one month because of a diphtheria outbreak and an extra two days in April because of the death of the master's wife.

Infant class lessons in 1886 included such topics as animals and birds, seasonal flowers, agriculture, keeping gardens and the use of tools. In 1887 there was a holiday to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. In 1888 Alfred Noyce left his position as headmaster and was replaced by Moses Thomas whose wife Mrs. M. Thomas became the assistant mistress.

An outbreak of measles closed the school for two weeks in October 1888. In 1889 the newly repaired stoves in the classrooms provided better warmth for the school children. They would often arrive at school damp and wet, having walked through bad weather conditions. The new master improved the school, which received a good diocesan report in December of 1889. By 1890 the average attendance was 103.3 children. New desks were provided and the annual school treat took the children to Edington in wagons.

The inspector's report of 1891 mentions 'room for improvement' with elementary subjects being 'fair'. There was a mention of the 'offices' (toilets) and the 'wet approach to them,' as well as the need for a cloakroom. The infants' class room was overcrowded and this seems to be a recurring problem at that time. Poor attendance in 1892 prevailed and one child was absent due to 'taking gloves to Holt', an example of the cottage industries that still flourished. A circus procession in Melksham also kept children away from school, while the permitted choir outing in 1892 was to Shearwater. 1893 saw more improvements as a result of building work which was often disruptive. Part of the roof was replaced and new windows were inserted meaning that the school was closed for one week in June. In September of that year there was a half day holiday for the consecration of the new burial ground near the church.

The school was used regularly for concerts and diocesan and temperance society meetings, sometimes closing early to accommodate these. The inspectors' report mentions good singing at this time and medals were awarded for unbroken attendance. Illness and bad weather conditions were the causes of many absences, and such problems as whooping cough and ringworm were common in 1894. Severe flooding meant the children had to be taken home by wagons supplied by the local farmers.

The inspector's report for 1895 states that the work of the first standard should be on slate as the children were not advanced enough for paper. The spelling was weak and they were backward in arithmetic. There were a number of children with learning difficulties, one not being able to speak properly, one subject to fits and a number of children with such irregular attendance that they were unable to sustain any level of education. In July of 1895 the choir outing was to Longleat and there was also a school treat at Monkton Farleigh organised by Sir Charles Hobhouse.

In 1897 the attendance committee made a comment regarding the boys aged twelve to thirteen years of age who regularly missed school due to helping in the fields. The families involved were happy to defy the authorities as the amount they earned would pay the summons and fine imposed and still leave them in profit. There was no help from the employers as they were happy to use the young boys as and when required. The report also mentions weak spelling and arithmetic. Two children were vaccinated as a result of a Governors recommendation. In 1898 the highest average weekly attendance was recorded, being 125.4, and a £15 grant was received to help with salaries and apparatus. The toilets were rebuilt at this time improving the standards of hygiene.

Poor excuses were often used for being absent, such as 'minding the baby' or 'gone to Melksham'. The choir outing in July was to Weymouth, presumably by train, and there was a holiday on March 2nd 1900 to commemorate the 'relief of Ladysmith'. The school was then closed, however, for three weeks, as there was an outbreak of measles. In September of 1900 letters were sent by the attendance officer to parents of children who had a less than 70% attendance record. A diphtheria outbreak in November meant that the school had to be 'scrubbed out' and the Ministry of Health stipulated that any child affected was not to attend school. No wonder that the report in December stated that children showed 'little intelligence', they had endured a fractured year of school attendance.

The early part of the twentieth century shows a fall in numbers due to some large families leaving the village. There was still much sickness, including scarlatina, whooping cough, tonsilitis and various other 'weaknesses'. This resulted in another school closure from March 11th to April 8th 1902. In June of that year there was a weeks long holiday to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII.

Outdoor work, weather permitting, was undertaken in the garden for the boys, and would give them experience of vegetable growing techniques. In September 1903 there were absences due to gathering wood, after extensive storms had brought many branches down. At the end of that same month the school was closed for one day as it was taken over by the County Education Authority as a result of the Education Act of 1902. By 1904 there were weekly visits by the attendance officer. Monitors were discontinued as they were considered an unnecessary expense. In February 1905 there was smoke in one of the class rooms. This was due to a build up of soot in one of the stove flue pipes, and this was taken apart and cleaned by the master and some of the older boys. The school at this time was very overcrowded and more building work was carried out in September 1905. A new class room was used for the first time in January 1906, just after the school had been used for an election. In March 1906 there were 144 pupils on the school registers and the inspector's report of that year suggested an extra teacher was required to improve the efficiency of the school.

In 1907 an infant school boy died from pneumonia, There were extremely low temperatures recorded in the class rooms of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, which was marginally above the outside temperature in that very cold winter. The school was closed from October 31st to December 2nd, due to an outbreak of measles. An oil stove was installed early in 1908 which made a big improvement to the heating of the school. The choir outing in that year was to Weston-Super-Mare. On May 24th 1909, Empire day was celebrated; songs, including the National Anthem, were sung and an address was given by the rector entitled 'Great Britain's greatness and the duty of every child.'

Further improvements to the school in 1910 included repairing the floor, fixing the blinds and installing hat pegs. In June that year the school was visited by the horticultural lecturer who questioned the boys on hoeing. The outing was to Bournemouth on 13th July. In September 1910 the rector retired and was presented with a reclining chair and a pipe. His position was filled by Reverend Roland Davis.

In 1911 the school was again closed from June 17th until June 26th for a coronation, this time of George V. On November 13th of that year some boys went home saying they were 'on strike'. They were punished the following day with six strokes each. But on 14th November thirty boys marched to school with flags, also saying they were 'on strike' and they made their way on to Melksham. The school was closed again in January 1912 after sparks from the worn out flue fell on wood and caused smouldering. The room was too cold to use without the stove and roof repairs had to be carried out. The attendance in April 1912 was 103. The horticultural lecturer made regular visits and demonstrated pruning, while a bee and poultry inspector described the working of hives and keeping of poultry; all useful skills for country children to learn. The older boys were also instructed in thatching and milking, and attended Common Farm in 1915 to improve their skills.

In September 1913 the interior of the school had been painted and cleaned and new lighting installed. By 1914 there were 122 children on the school register dropping to 118 in April of that year. The health of the children was improving with regular head checks for lice, teeth inspections, including extractions and fillings, and recordings of weight by 1916. The first sight of an aeroplane hovering over the village on February 1914 caused much excitement. It landed at Norrington Common and some of the older boys were allowed to go and inspect it.

1918 saw another epidemic of scarlet fever in January and an outbreak of measles in May of the same year. A telegram was received on May 28th instructing the school to be closed until June 17th, later extended to June 24th, in order for the illness to die out. The horticultural organiser Mr. Sharpe, visited and recorded the numbers of tools as 14 spades, ( 4 broken), 7 forks, 7 rakes, 7 draw hoes, and 6 Dutch hoes. 1918 marked the ending of the First World War, and there was much excitement on November 11th when the Armistice was signed and a half day holiday was granted. The inspector's report in 1919 commented on 'much improvements in fundamental subjects to reach satisfactory standards'. The school attendance officer visited the both the school and the homes of those with a poor attendance record. The nurse also would follow up the 'suspicious cases', giving written instructions on how to keep clean and general matters of hygiene.

In July 1922 Mr. Thomas, the head master retired. He was replaced by Herbert Davis in January 1923, after a short period with Alice Edmonds in temporary charge. The other teachers at this time were Mr. Harris for standard 2 and 3, and Miss Keen for standard 1 and the infants. The school was closed in November of 1922 while it was being used for a general election, and also on April 27th 1923, to celebrate the marriage of the Duke of York.

In June organised games took place for boys while the girls went on a nature walk to the river. The diocesan report stated that there was 'a strange apathy and sluggishness of mind' and recommended a set of Nelson's bible pictures. The average attendance that July was 91, with 98 being on the register. By 1924 another measles outbreak restricted the attendance with only 60 out of 93 children present. A further outbreak of mumps resulted in only 15 out of 91 children not contracting the disease. In July of 1924 fifteen children were taken to the British Empire exhibition at the new Wembley Stadium, and then to visit the city of London as well.

In 1925 the children heard the King's speech courtesy of a gramophone brought into school. The report of that year commented on the improved efficiency due to the new Head, and specifically mentions well-mannered children with more effort being made in oral lessons, and neatly presented written work. In 1926, 14 girls attended a course on 'domestic economy' at the Reading Rooms from April to June. A child was admitted to the Isolation Hospital with diphtheria and, as a result, a 'gargle of permanganate of potash' was issued to all children, each morning, for one week. Two minutes silence was observed on 12th November 1926, when the Armistice service was heard on the wireless broadcast from Canterbury Cathedral. By 1930 the school cricket team enjoyed success by beating Lowbourne School at Melksham, then Southbroom at Devizes followed by Calne Boys School. Herbert Davis left the school to be succeeded by Mr R.G. Wood in April 1931. At this time there were 86 children on the register. The early 1930s saw a greater emphasis on biology with collections being made of butterflies and moths, and walks taken in order to collect specimens. The school had its own aquarium in order to study pond life. Poppies were sold in school for the first time in 1933, to commemorate the First World War, and the school was closed in 1934 for the marriage of Princess Marina and the Duke of Kent.

The boys continued with their woodwork classes, making a lean to cycle shed, while a second hand piano was added to the list of school equipment as well as new dual desks. By 1939, and the outbreak of the Second World War, there was a necessity to accommodate evacuees, and so the Solomon Wolfson Jewish school was established in the reading rooms and the Wesleyan Chapel Sunday schoolroom. The extra numbers meant that a 'double shift' of alternate day's tuition was in operation, compensated for by historical and scientific excursions. By 1941 there were 120 children on the register, 40 of whom were evacuees. In 1941, the storage shed went up in flames due to an air raid but the fire was safely extinguished by Melksham Fire Brigade. The shelter was later rebuilt in December 1941 and blackout curtains were added to the windows of the school. Four extra refugees arrived from Bath, having been blitzed in the raids on that city of 1942. In July 1942 the rector retired and the head teacher attended a Home Guard course in Hampshire. School dinners were introduced at a cost of 5d. per person and 51 dinners were brought from Holt on a daily basis.

In 1943 the school was used as a dormitory to accommodate 60 harvest workers and two marquees and a kitchen were erected in the field behind the school to help with the catering required. In 1944, 872 books and 6 cwt. of magazines and paper were collected in a local salvage drive to help with the war effort. In 1945 and with the end of the Second World War, there were many victory celebrations resulting in a two day holiday from school for the Broughton Gifford children.

A wireless set was added to the school equipment by 1948, and a piano was bought in 1935, and then replaced in 1957. The status of the school was altered in 1952, when it became Voluntary Controlled. The Paradice Charity provided a record player with records, maths equipment and a set of Children's Britannica in 1967. The school was re-modelled again in 1975, when the head teacher's house was sold and an extension to the school built, making the design more open plan, and by 2008 there were 49 pupils.