Broad Hinton School

In the early 18th century, the children of the poor were taught to read by the vicar. In 1743, Broad Hinton School was founded by Thomas Benet of Salthrop. Thomas gave a rent charge of £20 a year from Quidhampton Manor in Wroughton to pay a schoolmaster to teach poor children between the ages of six and fifteen. On the 31st of October 1751, he gave a house, formally called 'Greens', in Broad Hinton village for the school and teacher and another £2 a year from Quidhampton for its maintenance. There were 50 pupils in the early 19th century but the school was short of books and in 1818 the provision for the education of the poor was said to be inefficient.

Under Thomas Benet's request, the children were to be 'educated and instructed in the catechism and true principles of the doctrine of the Church of England and constantly on the Lord's Day and all other Holy days attend divine service in the parish church.' The original school building was a house with a thatched roof and small windows. A new stone school building was built after a fire in 1847 burnt down the original building. The money which had been needed to build the new school was from a subscription fund which was raised by the Rev. John Thomson, curate of Broad Hinton and the surplus from this fund was invested to pay fire insurance premiums on the new premises.