St. Bartholomew's C. of E. Primary School, Wootton
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This was first established on a temporary basis c.1850 at Mount Pleasant, nearly opposite the existing Methodist School. Two cottages were made into one with the boys taught being on the ground floor and the girls on the upper floor. There were few pupils at first but after a few years the appointment of the first qualified teacher brought an increase in numbers. Larger premises were needed and the school moved into the Town Hall when the cottages were sold and new premises sought. A site for the new school in Station Road was given by Lord Clarendon in 1860 and the school was built by local builder, Isaac Lansdown.
The school opened in the summer of 1861 but it had been in use since January of that year. On the ground floor there was a large schoolroom and two classrooms for infants while on the upper floor there was a larger room and one classroom for the mixed school of older children. A playground and an adjoining schoolmaster's house, for the master and mistress Mr & Mrs T. Dodsworth Barker, were also built. In 1903 there was a headteacher, Mr Searle, who stayed at the school until 1929, with three teachers and a monitoress. In the first part of the 20th century Mrs Searle provided hot cocoa on cold wet days for children who had a long walk to school.
The school opened in the summer of 1861 but it had been in use since January of that year. On the ground floor there was a large schoolroom and two classrooms for infants while on the upper floor there was a larger room and one classroom for the mixed school of older children. A playground and an adjoining schoolmaster's house, for the master and mistress Mr & Mrs T. Dodsworth Barker, were also built. In 1903 there was a headteacher, Mr Searle, who stayed at the school until 1929, with three teachers and a monitoress. In the first part of the 20th century Mrs Searle provided hot cocoa on cold wet days for children who had a long walk to school.
The school was renamed St. Bartholomew's School. The Mixed and Infants' departments merged into one in 1923. An increase in numbers meant that a temporary classroom had to be provided for older children in 1948. By 1955 there were 305 pupils in three buildings and a hut on the site and some lessons were given in the vicarage, where the grounds were also used for tennis and atheletics. The classrooms were small and ill lit, there was a dangerous stone staircase and no staff room. In 1958 children aged over 11 years were transferred to the newly built Modern School and St. Bartholomew's became a junior and infants' school.
By 1961 the school had achieved voluntary controlled status and the County Council had been persuaded to make some improvements. In 1973 a new school, St. Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School, was built on land aquired from the Sports Association, the children moved there and the Station Road buildings became redundant. The new school was constructed on the open plan system and was sited at the top end of the High Street. In 2003 there were 324 pupils aged between 4 and 11 years.
By 1961 the school had achieved voluntary controlled status and the County Council had been persuaded to make some improvements. In 1973 a new school, St. Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School, was built on land aquired from the Sports Association, the children moved there and the Station Road buildings became redundant. The new school was constructed on the open plan system and was sited at the top end of the High Street. In 2003 there were 324 pupils aged between 4 and 11 years.