Cricklade National Infants' School, Cricklade

In 1859 a total of 50 infants were being taught in the basement of the National School, near St. Sampson's church. A new infants' school, paid for by William Pater and endowed by John Pater, was built in 1860 and was known as the 'Bottom School' as it was in St. Mary's parish, which was often referred to as the bottom parish as it was at the foot of the High Street. It was described as 'a very neat Gothic structure'. In 1871 there were 30 infants, while from 1874 the school was called St. Mary's school and began to accept older children. It seems to have atracted pupils from the British School, which was forced to close at the end of 1875. The managers of the National schools then took over the former British School as an infants' school and St. Mary's became the girls' school for both parishes.

The new building could hold 100 pupils and from the 1880s to 1911 the average attendance was between 61 and 75 with four classes in 1900. . Wiltshire County Council became the local education authority in 1902, when there were 66 pupils, and from 1903, or earlier, until 1922 the headmistress was Miss Maria Hoare. In 1923 the school was closed and the infants transferred to the boys school, near St. Sampson's church while the boys joined the girls at St. Mary's to form a mixed school. In 1924 there were 82 infants under Miss Caroline Horwill. The infants remained here until 1959 when the Cricklade Church of England Controlled School for all primary school age children was built.