Bower Chalke Church of England School

According to the ‘Education of the Poor Digest’, there were two day schools in Bower Chalke in 1833, attended by a total of sixteen children. A National School was built near the church in 1844. It had just one classroom for up to 84 pupils, who were taught by a headmistress and a monitor. An additional classroom and a teacher’s house were built in 1870. The school room measured thirty feet by sixteen feet and the smaller classroom for the infants measured just sixteen feet by twelve feet. The average attendance in 1875 was 51.

The surviving logbooks start in 1875 with the arrival of Mrs. Ellen Coleman as headmistress. In the next ten years the school had seven different head teachers. Mrs. Coleman suffered from ill health and resigned after just one year. The Inspector’s Report for 1877 showed a slight improvement and described Mrs. Furnice as a skilful teacher. The average attendance at this time was 55 and Mrs. Furnice’s only help was a young monitress. The Inspector had high expectations and indicated that unless the children did much better in their exams next year, the school grant would be reduced. In 1879 the vicar, Edward Collett, defended the headmistress when the school was given another poor report. He said that the Inspector was so severe that he frightened the children, and that his questions were very hard. Mrs. Furnice resigned soon after.

In the next five years the school had five head teachers. A period of stability began in 1886 with the arrival of James Caddy, who stayed for 23 years. Caddy’s entries in the logbook were dominated by attendance figures and the weather. Attendance was important to him because it affected the children’s exam results; the school grant was given according to pass rates. There are many references to one family, who were continually employed by one particular farmer; this greatly affected their schooling. Attendance was also dependent on the weather. Many children did not have protective clothing or waterproof footwear and stayed at home if the weather was bad. All the children went home for lunch, so there were occasions when the afternoon attendance was very different to the morning. Planning the timetable must have been very difficult at times.

In 1887 there were just two staff at the school and the average attendance was 65. They were taught by Mr. Caddy, assisted by his sister Emily, aged 22 but described as a monitress. By 1889 staffing had increased to three; Emily was the assistant teacher and a new monitress was employed. Pupil numbers increased greatly during the late 1880s and by 1891 there were 100 names on the roll. Although this led to higher grants, it presented a new problem in overcrowding. The problem was at its worst in the infants’ room, where the children were forced to sit three at a desk or on boxes. The Inspectors were unsympathetic, and in 1892 the annual report issued a serious warning; if the school did not improve dramatically during the next year, particularly in arithmetic, it was possible that the grant would be withheld. This threat was carried out in the next two years, depriving the school of extra money at a time when it was really needed.

Sickness was also a problem, particularly during the winter months. Every year attendance was affected by the usual coughs and colds. More serious illnesses were dealt with by closing the school, to prevent the further spread of infection. In June 1885 it closed for two weeks due to a measles outbreak. A further outbreak in 1901 caused the school to be closed for the whole of February.

Mr. Caddy recognised that encouragement was an important factor in improving both pupils’ attendance and their willingness to learn. The children were given annual prizes by Lady Pembroke as reward for good attendance. The girls were also given prizes for needlework. There were various treats in the form of days off throughout the year. The school closed for the day to allow everyone to attend the annual flower show. There was also an annual school treat. Both the church and the chapel took their annual treats on a week day. (These treats were simple affairs of tea and games, but they were much enjoyed by the children as a welcome relief from the hardships of everyday life). There was also an annual winter party in February. The children were given a generous tea and they each received a present. They then enjoyed a magic lantern show.

School holidays were mostly governed by the farming year. Six weeks at Harvest time, a week at Whitsun and a week at Christmas. Good Friday and Easter Monday were eventually given as a long weekend simply because so few children turned up at school.

It is to Mr. Caddy’s credit that he did not give up during these difficult times, when he had little support. Many parents did not want their children at school, when they could be earning money in the fields. The children themselves often did not want to be in school and the Inspectors’ reports make many references to the children being ‘dull, slow in answering’. In February 1909 Mr. Caddy resigned, exhausted and in poor health. He was a modest man and requested that no collection be made for him, but many villagers and ex-pupils were appreciative of his efforts and a collection was arranged. Unfortunately Mr. Caddy died within two months of his resignation.

Thomas Penfound was appointed in 1909 and was the last male teacher at the school. He had been appointed temporarily during Mr. Caddy’s illness and made a good impression on the school managers. The County Council however, opposed his permanent appointment, believing that a Mistress should be in charge. Both the managers and the villagers were adamant they wanted Penfold to remain and he was finally appointed permanently at the end of 1909.

His approach to teaching was modern, making it practical rather than theoretical and applying the knowledge the children acquired to the purposes of their everyday life. On fine days, for example, they would be outdoors during arithmetic lessons working with foot rules and measuring chains, the girls drawing from natural objects rather than copying from pictures. He obtained working model engines with carriages and trucks for the children to examine and handle in order to study the use of steam. A Civil War history lesson was brought to life by a visit to Wardour Castle. There were outings to Salisbury and Old Sarum; a cricket club was formed for the boys.

In July 1911 the school was visited by Mr. Williamson, the Correspondent. He examined the children’s books and was very pleased with their work. He left 3 shillings with the headmaster to be divided amongst the best children. Mr. Penfound was very grateful, and noted in the logbook that this kind act had given the teachers much encouragement. In 1912 the Inspector was also impressed with achievements and recommended that the master should be given an increase in his salary. Unfortunately as time passed, Mr. Penfound became less popular in the village. The first signs of discontent appeared at the end of 1914 when the school was given a bad report. Possibly his unorthodox approach to education was viewed with suspicion by the rural community. The First World War brought many changes, one of which was a directive insisting that the school should be run by a mistress. Penfound quickly married and resigned from the school abruptly. His last entry in the log book was ‘June 18th. I resigned charge of the school today’, to which the school correspondent, Mr. R.W. Williamson, added in black ink, ‘Thank God’!

Mrs. Contance Hardwicke took over at a time when the reality of war was beginning to dawn on the people of Bower Chalke. News from the front came from relatives who were there and labour was becoming very scarce. Boys were granted permission to leave school early because of the shortage on the land. The children did their bit to help the war effort; they were given afternoons off to pick blackberries for jam for the troops, picking over 200 lbs in one afternoon. Attendance dominates Mrs. Hardwicke’s logbook entries. She seems to have adopted both the carrot and the stick approach. Children who were present all week were given half an hour’s playtime on the Friday. Another entry states that six children played truant one afternoon to look at soldiers resting in a field. Their punishment was no play time all term!

Mrs. Hardwicke resigned after two years to be nearer her husband and was replaced by Mrs. Bessie Wilson. In 1919 there were 77 pupils on the roll due to an increase in population. The Inspectors at last recognised that this number was too many for two teachers and in June Miss Foyle was appointed to teach Standards I and II. Miss Habgood had 23 infants in her class and Mrs Wilson taught the 31 children in standards III to VII.

In 1925 Mrs. Hardwicke returned to the school and was headmistress for the next five years. The vicar at this time was the Rev. Soulby, who was also the school correspondent. He was a generous man, and the school was very grateful to him for buying a cricket set and teaching the boys to play (not, it was emphasized in the logbook, in school time). He also provided pictures for the classroom walls, football equipment and large toys for indoor games for the infants. In 1925 the correspondent wrote in the logbook ‘I have obtained the use of a field for the boys’ football and the girls’ hockey and I play with them after school on three days of the week. I think that this programme adds a considerable amount of happiness to their school life.’ From 1920 onwards pupil numbers gradually dropped; in 1928 the staffing was reduced to two again as there were just 48 children on the roll.

Mrs. Alice Booth was headmistress from 1930-1939. In December 1933 Miss Edith Habgood resigned as infant teacher, a post she had held for 33 years. In 1941 Mrs. Margarita Adams arrived as headmistress and stayed in post until the school closed. During her time there were many references in the logbook to the school building. Discussions about lighting, heating and cramped conditions had been in evidence since the 1890s! The unsatisfactory conditions in the infants’ room continued until the school closed. The room was small, with only one window. Electricity was installed in 1950. A mains water supply and toilets followed in 1952. School meals began in 1951.

1n 1953 Bower Chalke School became a primary school; all children over the age of eleven were transferred to Broad Chalke. This had a marked effect on pupil numbers and in 1955 there were just 36 children at the school. There was a further change in the system in 1963 when all children in the area over the age of eleven moved on to Wilton Secondary Modern School. In 1966 Mrs. Adams was presented with a gold watch to mark 25 years service; she still had only 36 pupils. In 1969 the school became a one teacher school with the help of a part time teacher for just ten hours a week. Possible closure was mentioned, but there was strong opposition in the village. The subject was raised again in 1973 as the Wilton area schools were being reorganised for a second time. In 1975 the school became Bower Chalke First School and took pupils aged five to nine. The nine to thirteen year olds attended Wilton Middle School. In September 1974 an entry in the logbook states that the school will close in 1976 and the children will go to Broad Chalke School.

A photographer from the Salisbury Times visited the school on July 23rd 1976 to photograph the children in school and at play. In the afternoon several mothers came to the school to join in the last assembly and in the evening a special service of thanksgiving was held in the church. The school closed after 132 years and the remaining 19 children moved to Broad Chalke.