National School, Steeple Langford
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A National School was founded in 1861, but there have been many alternations since then. The building was made bigger in 1895 and further extensions took place in 1973 through the erection of new buildings.
It became a grant aided school in 1944 following the Education Act, and on 14 January 1954 it officially became known as Steeple Langford Church of England Aided School.
In 1864 boys left the school at the age of nine and girls left at 12. In 1875, 15 years after opening, the average attendance was 56 in the day, and 17 in the evening. Evening sessions were put on for some boys who worked during the day, and these night schools continued until the start of the 20th century. A common lesson was rural agriculture and how to plan and plant kitchen gardens.
The school did seem particularly Victorian in regards to punishment. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the school log books list many of the reasons children received a caning. These included; being late, being rude, striking matches, throwing stones, careless work and stealing marbles. The most common cause for being physically punished was for rudeness or careless work.
On 9 February 1880, a temperance lecture was given by the Reverend Oldfield. Most children in the school attended and 'a goodly number signed the pledge.' It should be remembered that these children promising never to drink alcohol were all under 13!
It became a grant aided school in 1944 following the Education Act, and on 14 January 1954 it officially became known as Steeple Langford Church of England Aided School.
In 1864 boys left the school at the age of nine and girls left at 12. In 1875, 15 years after opening, the average attendance was 56 in the day, and 17 in the evening. Evening sessions were put on for some boys who worked during the day, and these night schools continued until the start of the 20th century. A common lesson was rural agriculture and how to plan and plant kitchen gardens.
The school did seem particularly Victorian in regards to punishment. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the school log books list many of the reasons children received a caning. These included; being late, being rude, striking matches, throwing stones, careless work and stealing marbles. The most common cause for being physically punished was for rudeness or careless work.
On 9 February 1880, a temperance lecture was given by the Reverend Oldfield. Most children in the school attended and 'a goodly number signed the pledge.' It should be remembered that these children promising never to drink alcohol were all under 13!
The attendance of children at the school was, in a similar vein to many small rural parishes at the time, very dependent on weather, illness and a need for children to go out and work in the fields. Often teachers would use their discretion in regards to giving holidays to accommodate the need for children to work in the fields. For example, in June 1908 the school was closed for two weeks to give the children a 'haymaking holiday'. To give children time off to assist in the haymaking was a regular occurrence for many years. In other harvest periods, the school often changed its hours in order for children to take meals for the parents in the fields
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Holidays were often given for no really concrete reason; 22 October 1907 was a holiday from school for the children given by the managers 'in recognition of the good attendance made by the children during the last year. That month there were 121 children on the roll.
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Holidays were often given for no really concrete reason; 22 October 1907 was a holiday from school for the children given by the managers 'in recognition of the good attendance made by the children during the last year. That month there were 121 children on the roll.
Outbreaks of illnesses such as German measles and Scarlet Fever could often be seen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1870, the head master wrote: 'The upper classes are constantly getting smaller and smaller on account of the children being wanted in the fields.'In 1878, the head master wrote: 'The attendance has fallen off materially this week in consequence of the commencement of the harvest.' Absence was also caused by children taking meals out to their parents in the field. Bad weather too played a big part; when there was snow or a bad storm, children from Little Langford were as often as not absent as the road from Little Langford to the school would become blocked.
Reports from Her Majesty's Inspectors were not always especially complimentary. The Schools Inspector in 1875 wrote: 'The spelling and handwriting are only pretty fair. The geography and grammar are not satisfactory.'
Reports from Her Majesty's Inspectors were not always especially complimentary. The Schools Inspector in 1875 wrote: 'The spelling and handwriting are only pretty fair. The geography and grammar are not satisfactory.'