National School, Fonthill Gifford
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A new national school was built in 1846 beside the road between Stop Farm and the church. According to the survey of schools carried out by HMI William Warburton in 1858, by this date attendance averaged 20 – 30 boys and girls, taught by a schoolmistress “neither certificated nor registered, but a superior person (daughter of a Colonel in the Queen’s service)”. The children enjoyed a good supply of books and apparatus. The older boys attended Hindon School. In 1864 the boys left school at the age of 10 and the girls at 12. In 1902/3 there were 57 children on the roll, declining to 29 by 1937 and to 17 by 1932.
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The elementary subjects were the ‘3 Rs’ – reading, writing and arithmetic. Scripture was often taught by the vicar and children would have attended church for services on some days. Older children were taught history and geography and there may have been some study of natural history. Singing was taught to all ages and all the girls and some of the boys would have done needlework. Drawing had been introduced by the 1890s.