Overton cum Fyfield Church of England School

Overton cum Fyfield National School opened in Lockeridge on 25 January 1875 with 43 pupils. Plans for the school had been in progress for some three years and with the aid of government grants a parish rate and individual subscriptions in April 1873 the building of the school had been placed in the hands of a London builder named B.E. Nightingale. The plans were drawn up by the architect to the Meux estate C.E. Ponting. Subscribers to the scheme included members of the clergy the trustees of the Meux family the Duke of Marlborough the Earl of Pembroke and individuals within the parish.The first school mistress was Elizabeth Axton who wrote in the school log book34Children examined and found very ignorant disorderly noisy and very backward especially in Arithmetic having had no instruction in that subject higher than simple addition34. The number of children increased rapidly and by mid-February 1875 there were 70 children on the register when the Diocesan inspector visited in November 1875 he examined 89 pupils in their knowledge of the Scriptures. Numbers continued to increase and the average attendance for the week ending 8 March 1878 which was noted as 34good34 was 115 pupils. Average attendance for the week ending 9 June 1899 was 128 pupils the highest ever noted.

In the mid-1890s HM Inspectors commented on the overcrowding in the school the inspection report in February 1896 strongly advocated the building of a classroom partition to be erected in the main room and children under seven to be located in the smaller part leaving the other division and the room presently occupied by the Infants for the Mixed School. At this date a pupil could leave school at the age of 11 if a Labour Certificate examination had been passed to prove that he or she was sufficiently proficient in Reading Writing and Arithmetic.Shortly after the school opened the pupils were arranged into three then four classes. However by the 1880s the school had become divided into the 34Mixed34 school and the 34Infants34 school. Staffing consisted of a certificated schoolmaster an Infants schoolmistress and a monitor. Elizabeth Axton the first mistress in the school had been replaced some eighteen months after the opening of the school because 34 owing to the increased number of scholars the Managers consider it desirable to have a master34. The mixed boys and girls39 school was classified into Standards I to IV by May 1915 the pupils would be divided into two groups Standards I to III and Standards IV - VII. In the late years of the nineteenth century HM Inspectors would visit the school and examine the children in Reading Writing and Arithmetic deriving from the results in addition a judgement of the teaching abilities of the staff.

They would also inspect the school39s attendance figures. On the basis of their conclusions of all three factors would depend the school39s financial grants for the coming year. On 29 March 1889 the Inspector wrote 34Unless a more favourable report is received ..another year the grant will be reduced under Article 115i34. The importance of a favourable Inspection report is echoed in the log book entry for January 1882 stating that Dictation had been examined by the teacher 34These exercises were given by HM Inspector in another district last month34.Dictation was in fact one of the subjects which were taught in addition to the 34three Rs34 of Reading Writing and Arithmetic. Other subjects included Geography and singing and the titles of the many songs taught to the children are listed in the school log books. In addition in 1891 the school applied successfully to the Education Department to include Drawing in the curriculum and this was subsequently also subjected to HMI inspections. Object lessons were another important feature of the curriculum In 1889 such lessons for the Infants and Standard I included topics as diverse as Money Butterfly Horse Orange Coal Camel Primrose Tiger Slate Umbrella Whale and Wax.

In 1899 the curriculum was listed clearly in the school log books at this date subjects which the school was obliged to teach included Reading Writing Arithmetic Needlework for the girls Drawing for the boys object lessons for Standards 1 2 and 3 and Physical Exercises. Optional subjects were Singing Recitation and Geography. In September 1900 34Cottage Gardening34 was introduced into the curriculum for the boys.Attendance figures were of great importance to the schoolteacher because of their influence on government funding of the school. Consequently the school log books note the figures on an almost daily - and certainly weekly - basis. Reasons for the generally low attendance are noted carefully on occasion wet or stormy weather or snow resulted in problems for children walking a considerable distance to school. In addition since children returned to their homes at lunchtime if their clothes became wet during their walk home and they had no others to change into they would be unable to return for the afternoon session. At other times epidemics of illnesses such as measles mumps whooping cough or scarlet fever as well as more commonplace colds and coughs resulted in very low numbers. In December 1884 there was an epidemic of measles and another in November 1897 which brought attendance down to 20 and the temporary closure of the school by the Medical Officer.

On a few occasions the log books record the death of individual pupils - whether from such illnesses or not is not related. By the 1890s and into the 20th century regular visits by the School Doctor and Dentist monitored the physical welfare of the children.Absences were also due to other reasons such as helping adults with hay-making gleaning or potato digging at the appropriate time of year. Indeed the longest school vacation was centred on the local harvest-time and lasted approximately six weeks. In addition a not infrequent occurrence would be the employment of boys as beaters on shoots taking place on the estate of the local major landowning Meux family as in November 1885 and December 1896. Simple truancy also occurred and the master records his attempts to combat this through the intervention of the School Attendance Officer. Newspaper reports of parents summonsed to the Magistrates Court and fined for the non-attendance at school of their children are inserted in the log books in August 1898 and October 1902.

On occasion however prior to 1891 when elementary education became free and families no longer had to pay the 34School Pence34 children in persistent arrears were sent home when they arrived at school although on an occasion in 1881 an arrangement was made whereby half the arrears were paid and the remainder promised for a future date.Punishments for misbehaviour such as idleness disobedience and cheating took the form of canings either on the hand or on 34the back34. On the other hand however more pleasant events such as the Annual School Treat were also part of school life In July 1880 the Treat was held in Mr. Ponting39s meadow when 34160 sat down to tea34 and 19 prizes were given to pupils who had passed all subjects in the last HMI inspection. On 23 July 1882 the visit of the Duke of Albany to Marlborough resulted in a day39s holiday being given to the children. On 21 June 1887 a day39s holiday was given for Queen Victoria39s Golden Jubilee. National and international events reached the school at times On 4 December 1899 a brigade of artillery marching from Trowbridge to Aldershot on their way to the Boer War in South Africa passed along the London to Bath road and they were cheered on by the children who followed them nearly to Marlborough subsequently some were late back to school for the afternoon. The needlework class made a parcel of 17 cushions for the use of wounded soldiers and these were sent to London in February 1900 to be distributed as necessary.

Balaclava helmets were also being made at this time. When on 1 March 1900 news of the Relief of Ladysmith was announced the children were given a half holiday the following day. Celebrations also took place some weeks later on 21 May when the Relief of Mafeking was announced. A general day39s holiday was pronounced in the district and the school was included in this.On 23 April 1900 school work began later than usual in order that the children could see the large number of motor cars travelling along the Bath Road as part of the Automobile Club 1000 mile run.When Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901 the head teacher recorded34The illness and death of Her Majesty the Queen cast a deep gloom everywhere. The lessons were slightly varied in order to dwell on the benefits during her reign social and commercial prosperity expansion of empire feeling throughout the world her personality goodness influence etc inventions such as steam telegraphs phonograph electricity cars etc.

and also the various changes which will be brought about in being succeeded by a king34.In the early 20th century the school was taken over by Wiltshire County Council but retaining its local management committee and was known as Overton cum Fyfield Church of England School.Half-day holidays were given to enable children to participate in local Chapel Sunday School treats in June 1907 holidays were given in respect of both the Fyfield Congregational Sunday School treat and the Overton Primitive Methodists39 Sunday School treat. In September 1907 when the school reopened after the Harvest Holidays 108 children attended school plus some 8 children who had been granted 34Half-Time Certificates enabling them to be in part-time employment if an adequate level of education had been achieved.In September 1915 groups of six girls in succession began to attend cookery classes at Manton and at the end of each course they were examined and marked for their practical and written work. Little mention is made of any intrusion of the First World War into the life of Overton school until at a late date in the war the head teacher Mr. Telling was called up to the army in June 1918 returning to the school in January 1919. Otherwise no mention is made of either the outbreak or conclusion of the War. However the Second World War brought 37 evacuees from West Ham in the East End of London to the school in September 1939 plus two of their teachers.

The plan was to base seventeen of the evacuees in Kennet Valley Hall as a 34subdivision of the school34. However nine returned to London on 13 November and six days later 14 more also returned. The evacuation authorities sent the remaining evacuees on to Bridgewater Somerset on 24 November 1939. The head teacher records 34They displayed great grief at their departure. They have loved our life here and have adapted themselves wonderfully to it. Our villagers have looked after them with true Wiltshire hospitality. We shall miss them and their teachers34. By June 1940 the school was hosting a total of 15 other evacuees including four privately evacuated children the provenance of these children is unknown. By November 1940 there were 23 evacuees in the school and 26 in January of the following year.In 19 July 1943 the provision of school dinners commenced. In October of the same year the necessity of growing most food within the country meant that a Potato Harvest Holiday took place from the 1st to the 11th of the month. A stark log book entry of 26 June 1944 states 34Received news that one of our boys has been seriously injured while playing with a grenade34. In the course of the war years a small number of pupils sat admission examinations to Marlborough Grammar and other secondary schools and some scholarship places were gained.When V.E. Victory in Europe day was declared on 8 May 1945 two days39 holiday were granted.

In October of the same year the number of pupils registered at the school was 57. By 5 September 1955 ten years later there were 44. The school was now a primary school only the older children having transferred in 1948-1949 to secondary school in Marlborough.In February of 1976 and 1978 photographs were taken of the whole school with their teachers and prints appended to the school log book. In September 1977 the pupils began to use the newly built Kennet Valley Hall for their PE lessons. In January 1983 there were 37 children registered at the school. By the late 1980s the numbers of pupils on roll at both Overton cum Fyfield CE School in Lockeridge and the neighbouring East Kennett School were falling and it was considered impossible to keep both schools open. Consequently in 1990 both schools federated with the Infant school Reception and Years 1 and 2 plus the Bluebell Nursery located at the Lockeridge site and the Junior school Years 3 to 6 at East Kennett. Both sites were managed by a single head teacher and governing body. At the time of the federation there were 68 children on roll.In the course of the academic year 201011 extra classrooms and meeting rooms were built at the Lockeridge site and in July 2011 the long-held aim of bringing together both Infant and Junior schools on the same site was achieved forming Kennet Valley Church of England VA School. In 2015 there were 80 children on the roll.