National School, Heywood

The school at Heywood was built in 1836 for 100 pupils. It was called Heywood House School in 1859. Warburton described the mixed school in 1858 as '50 scholars are taught by an uncertified master and two pupil teachers, in a good room, 36' x 18'. Mr. Hughes (November 1857) reported unfavourably, but the school was doing very fairly when I inspected it in December 1859'. He was less expressive about the infants: '20-30 babies under a dame, in a classroom'. The school was closed for the period 1878-1885, when it is thought to have been used as a place of worship (with the children being sent to the school at West Ashton).

Unfortunately no Victorian school log books survive for the school; the first we hold date from 1938. At that time the subjects taught still remained similar to those of 50 years before. Reading was aided by the 'library exchange' whereby books were lent from school to school. This had been happening from at least the beginning of the 20th century, if not before. In September 1941 the books included four by Enid Blyton and in December, 'ring o'rhymes' stories. Of course, Enid Blyton was not around to write books in the Victorian period, and another new way of learning at this time included the use of gramophone records, six of which arrived in March 1942. They were English and Scandinavian Folk Dances. The piano was tuned regularly, as in May 1939; singing songs and hymns and learning by rote had been established in the 19th century.

It was usual in the Victorian period for the boys to do drawing and the girls, needlework. In October 1940 a needlework sale provided 10 shillings, which was sent to the County Treasurer. Victorian schoolchildren spent time outside; the newer of the subjects for them being gardening, but they also helped by picking hedgerow fruit. This practice continued, and rosehips were collected in September 1943 when Mrs. Carter asked if they could do so. It was reported in October that they'd collected 58lbs and 4oz (at this time it was probably to help with the war effort). In July 1943 there was a demonstration on 'how to use mats for general activities in the meadow'.

The infants had 'object' lessons in the Victorian period, studying items such as coal, tiger, sugar, bluebell etc. Geography was also an important subject and the pupils learnt about the Empire (Commonwealth in today's terms) in particular.

Religious education is given less prominence in the school log books of the 1930s, but the subject was extremely important to the Victorians, with regular lessons (including help from the Vicar) and Diocesan Inspections. In January 1939 the Inspector noted 'I was pleased to find in this small school so many bright and intelligent children. They sang a charming carol during opening prayers...the tone and discipline were very good. The written work was excellent'. In June 1942 it was noted 'The opening worship, with carefully selected prayers and hymn, brought just the right atmosphere into all subsequent work done during the inspection'. The junior children had notebooks with an outline map of Palestine and useful material connected with their lessons included in them. 'The infants produced some quite good crayon drawings'. The Vicar was mentioned as helping in June 1939, but was not mentioned again until November 1945 when he took class one in scripture 'for the first time' and 'would do so every Tuesday morning'. The vicar was Chairman of the local Invasion Committee during the War, which perhaps explains his absence. In September 1942 the Cambridge Syllabus of Religious Teaching for schools and handbook arrived; even in Victorian times there were rules about teaching guidelines while lesson timetables had to be submitted to educational boards.

Regular examinations were given, and scholarships could be obtained for high school, as happened to two children in September 1941 when they won County Junior Scholarships. Interviews appeared to have taken place each year with the master/mistress of the Boys or Girls' High Schools in Trowbridge.

Visitors often came to the school during the Victorian Period, to look at what the children were doing and were even known to give out prizes for good pieces of work. Visitors in the 19th century would often inspect the needlework or gardens and garden equipment. The Assistant Director visited the school in May 1943 and brought in two volumes of 'The Studio', given to him by Lady Radnor for the school. In September 1943 the Vicar called in about some pictures for religious education and in March 1943 there was a visitor who watched the PT lessons. Physical education was not really thought about too much in Victorian times, except for some periods of drill and the recognition that children needed to play outside at breaks and at lunchtime and to get fresh air. This principle had been expanded on by the 1930s and PT become part of the curriculum. Drill shoes were ordered for the children in June 1940. Equipment was also ordered, as in June 1939 when the school received 24 sports balls, 1 long rope, 6 skipping ropes, 8 wooden blocks, 24 yards of braid, 4 quoits and bats for the infants. Sixteen children entered for the sports to be held at the senior school in Westbury; the school closed in the afternoon.

Talks were given by visitors from the late 19th century onwards. These continued; in November at Thanksgiving Day the children were told the story of the Pilgrim Father and of their Thanksgiving. In July 1944 a lady came to talk to the children on animals' welfare and a policeman gave them a talk on road safety in March 1944 (not as much of a problem in the Victorian era, though!).

Every May the children would attend an Ascension Day service at the church. Annually after W.W.I in November poppies were sold with a short talk at 11am, followed by prayers and hymns. In September 1940 the children wrote letters asking parents/foster parents to send in garden produce for the school Thanksgiving Service. They received lots of potatoes, onions, carrots and beetroot which were taken to Westbury Hospital. In January 1942 six shillings was sent to the Waifs and Strays Society as a Christmas gift from the schoolchildren. In December 1945 the children of class one were taken out for evening carol singing. After several endeavours they collected £7 5s 9d towards a wireless set (radio). In April 1946 a whist drive was organised by a parent, making £8 6d 9d. The set was finally purchased in June 1946 at the total cost of £20 3s 1d.

In the 19th century Her Majesty's Inspectors tested the schoolchildren on literacy, maths, geography etc. and assessed conditions within the school. The same process occurred in the 1930s, as in July 1938: 'Steady progress continues to be made here. The schemes of work are satisfactory and careful records are kept. The general atmosphere is happy and the children are interested and diligent'. The higher class showed practical knowledge of measures and the oral arithmetic was 'particularly well done'. Reading and comprehension was good and expression above average. There was more systematic work required in the teaching of music but there was a steady improvement in art. 'Cramped space means little activity work can be done with the infants. Good progress is being made in the fundamental subjects'. The headmistress (sometimes with a teacher) attended courses in the 1930s, such as those for the teaching of reading in July 1942 at the senior school in Westbury, a residential course on Citizenship in East Knoyle (August 1943) and a music course in Warminster (June 1944). They also attended lectures on 'The British Commonwealth of Nations' at Trowbridge in April 1945. Quite often this meant a half or day off school. Holidays in the 1860s were not as long as they are now with one week at Whitsun, two weeks at Christmas and three weeks in July. By the late 1870s the summer holiday had been extended to four weeks and Christmas three weeks.

Only Good Friday and Easter Monday were taken off at Easter time. In the 1890s the summer holiday was extended to four-five weeks and Easter also extended into the week after Easter Monday.

The children also had days off for other reasons, and those listed below were just as likely to have happened in the 19th century as in the 20th.

In July of 1939 a day off was given for the annual church fete. In the morning the children had a final practice of their country dance. In December 1939 there was a Christmas Party in the afternoon. Twelve children were taken to the Carol Festival in Westbury in December 1942. The school was closed for use as a polling station in July 1945 and a day off was always given when school tests took place. In March 1941 Standards two, three and five were taken to Westbury Leigh School to attend a musical concert (on a private bus hired for the day). The older children were taken to Hawkeridge Green in May 1942 to see the 'National Savings Travelling Cinema Van' (this wouldn't have happened in the 19th century, though). In June 1939 the oldest children were taken to see Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge one evening.

Children in Victorian times appear to have been a bit more wayward; many school log books list unauthorised absences for going to local fairs and hunt meets etc. Other reasons why children were not at school when they should be was to help their parents in the fields with tasks such as picking acorns and sloe berries, hay making, potato planting, apple and blackberry picking and gleaning. 'Through Seven Reigns. Heywood Church School. 1836-1971' states that in 1914 the Attendance Officer was requested to 'make a special visit to the homes of children who were persistent absentees. One offender was a lad who worked for a farmer and his 'crime' was 'He was away yesterday for the purposes of taking a calf to market - and this has happened several times''. By the 1930s these absences do not appear to have occurred at all. In September 1942 it was agreed that the school should open late to 'assist the agricultural needs in view of delay in the corn harvest to wet weather'. A two week holiday was given to the older children in some schools over the country to help with the gathering of potatoes in September and October 1942. To help parents, the school opened in the morning with 11 children attending on the first day.

One thing that doesn't seem to change is the effect the weather had on children attending school. In January 1940 the dentist had to return the following day as attendance was low due to the snow (at 40%). The bad weather continued into February. One day in September 1940 it was so wet that there was no playtime and the children were dismissed at 3.20 p.m. The roads were still slippery a week later and it was still wintry so playtimes and early closure continued (this also happened in May 1942). In January 1945 no hot meals arrived owing to the state of the roads. The meat and biscuits brought for an emergency were given to the children. The following week no hot meals were sent so the children had to be sent home at 1.15 p.m, and the following day the bad weather meant that 18 out of 50 children attended. In March 1947 no hot meals were brought owing to the floods and there was heavy snow in March 1947. Children often had a long way to walk to school in boots that were not always waterproof. In December 1943 ten pairs of wellies were successfully applied for from a number sent to England as a gift from America and Canada, and in January 1945, five pairs of wellies were received for children who had a long distance to travel to school. In October 1942 hot drinks were made for the children who stayed at school for dinner; Horlicks or Oxo.

As being caught out in bad weather and trying to get dry on the small school stoves was an easy way to become ill, many children did and it was another reason why attendance was low at times. This was apparent in January 1945 when no coal was delivered and there was no school for the infants. They returned to school a week later.

As early as the beginning of the 20th century, if not before, children were weighed with a machine that was passed around the schools; the children were also measured. Illnesses such as chicken pox, German measles, scarlet fever and whooping cough were common. Sometimes the school was closed and fatal cases occurred. Impetigo was also a common ailment, as the outbreaks in November 1943 and July 1944 shows, and also head lice - the children with 'verminous' heads were excluded. At Heywood during the 1930s, a brother and two sisters were excluded in January 1940 as their mother had German measles and in March two cases were reported. Two children contracted a skin disease in January 1941 and in March several cases of whooping cough were suspected. There were also cases of scabies and coughs and colds. In July 1941 a girl was sent home with a sore throat and high temperature. In July 1942 the school was cautious about admitting a girl who had moved from Swindon where there had been an outbreak of smallpox. There was a case of scarlet fever in November 1942, and in December a girl was excluded with scabies. There were cases of scarlet fever and three cases of suspected chicken pox in January 1943, with confirmed cases the following month.

The children of the 1930/40s received visits from the nurse as in November 1938 (this also happened at the end of the Victorian Period), had regular medical inspections and visits from the dentist, as in September 1939 when the visit was specifically to extract some teeth! In May 1941 the children's eyesight was tested and in July 1941 a doctor visited to give children the first dose of a three course treatment for immunisation against diphtheria.

Bottles of cod liver oil were sent regularly in the second quarter of the 20th century, as in October 1940. Children were given milk to help keep them healthy (a practice that had been going on for some time) but which appears to be problematic. In June 1941 'a second lot of sour milk arrives at school. It is suggested that the farmer does not send it in the hot weather'. In April 1942 the milk goes sour again and has to be thrown away, and in August 22 bottles went sour! One bottle of milk was allowed per child (for payment).

Accidents often happened in the playground, such as in December 1942 when a girl fell and broke her leg. From June 1942 it was noted that many children had to have a half hour rest in school each day and from November 1943 children were also given 'remedial exercises' in school by a lady from the Medical Department.

A list of 'Defect and Dilapidations' at the school was taken in 1903 and it was found that the mixed school required four of 'Boyles or other approved' fresh air inlets to be inserted into the walls. The infants' room had a dilapidated window and a door to the playground which needed replacing. The school floor was very old and worn. A disused well was thought to be underneath and the source of the very bad smell that prevailed at times. It was advised that the floor should be removed, the well filled in and a new wood block floor inserted on top of 6 inches of concrete. The walls also needed plastering and distempering. The toilets (called closets) were 'most unsatisfactory' and needed to be filled in and replaced with Moulde's earth closets. During February 1941 it was noticed that a chimney pot on which one of the cowels was placed was moving dangerously in the wind - the infants had to be brought into the big room. In May 1946 an architect from County Hall in Trowbridge (the County Council's HQ) visited to 'see about the interior decoration of the school'.

For further information please see Heywood Voluntary Controlled School