Bishopstrow School

In 1808 there was a school in Bishopstrow where 12 poor girls attended, no doubt the same one at which in 1818 the girls of the parish were taught knitting and straw plaiting at the expense of the lady of the manor. Some children went to schools in Warminster. In 1833 18 boys and 21 girls were taught in a school at the expense of their parents, and William Temple, lord of the manor, paid for the schooling of 15 boys. In 1842 it was described as a National School for girls.

In 1848 a school building of two rooms was erected. In 1858 it was still chiefly maintained by Temple and attended by 40 or 50 children. They were taught by a certificated teacher and a pupil teacher. Miss Elizabeth Hayter was the mistress by 1859, and she stayed in post until 1902. The school logbooks start in 1875, when Miss Mary Bull was the assistant teacher.

The school had temporary mistresses from 1902 to 1905, when Mrs Mary Pike (previously Miss Hall) was appointed. She stayed in post until the school closed. The children were fortunate to have the stability provided by long-term teachers.

In 1864 the boys were leaving school at the age of 9 or 10, when they went to work or to a school in Warminster. The girls stayed until they were 12. The rector ran an evening school in the winter and was pleased with the number of boys who attended. They also attended his Sunday school.

In 1880 there were about 50 children on the roll and this figure was maintained until 1910, when it had dropped to 37.

The only surviving plan of the school dates from c1905. The main school room measured 24 feet by 14 feet and the smaller classroom was 17 feet by 14 feet. At the back of the building was a fuel store, next to two sets of earth closets. In January 1909 the Committee of Council on Education asked the managers to provide cloakroom accommodation and lavatories. No plans had been submitted by May and the managers were given a deadline of 17^th June. This deadline was also missed, and the managers were given until 15^th July to agree, otherwise the Committee would cease to maintain the school after October 1910. The threat of funding withdrawal seems to have spurred the managers into action and the work was completed by December 1910.

Pupil numbers continued to drop and by 1915 the average number was just 30. In March 1921 the managers took the decision to close the school. The parents were against closure and asked the rector to speak on their behalf, but the managers refused to change their minds. The school closed on 31^st August 1921.

The building stood empty for 30 years until 1950 when it was gifted to the village by Peter Temple for use as a community hall. Over the years the hall has been maintained using funds from hirings and local grants.

In 2013 a major renovation took place, replacing the roof and floor and building a new kitchen.

The school logbooks give daily report of the life of the school. Attendance was a major subject of concern as this affected the size of the grant the school was given. Pupils missed school due to illness; in the winter it would have been bad weather that kept them away, as most children did not have suitable shoes or coats to protect them. Sometimes, the boys went to work instead of school. The farmer would have needed regular help, and families were only too glad for their children to earn some extra money.

School holidays were arranged around the farming year. The Easter and Christmas breaks were just one week, increasing to two weeks by 1910. A week’s holiday was taken at Whitsun.  The school closed for the whole of August when everyone helped with the harvest. Special events kept the children away, whether or not they were officially given time off. In 1875 a circus came to Warminster and October was the date of the annual Warminster Fair. In 1917 the children were given time off to collect acorns for the War effort. In September 1918 they collected blackberries.

Lessons were ‘the three Rs’, also geography and needlework. The infants were given object lessons, for example ‘the elephant’, ‘a bottle’, ‘the potato’, ‘the grocer’s shop’.

All the children were expected to learn poems and songs in time for the annual examination. The rector gave religious instruction and the children attended church services on special occasions such as Ascension Day.

In 1921 pupil numbers had risen again and the average attendance was 42. The logbook gives no indication that the school was under threat. The entry for 29^th July says that the school had closed for the summer vacation. The last entry is ‘August 31^st. Bishopstrow C.E. School closed permanently today’.