British Infants' School, Downton
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There was a separate infants' school in the British Girls' School by 1857 when there were 56 pupils attending. The infants' room was normally in charge of an uncertified teacher or sometimes a monitor, who was one of the older girls at the school. The children learned basic reading, writing and arithmetic but in the 1860s and 1870s standards and attainments were poor. The infants were also particularly susceptible to the weather conditions and frequent flooding and heavy snowfalls had considerable effects on attendance. There were many illnesses including measles, mumps, whooping cough, scarletina and diphtheria as well as the more usual coughs and colds.
School holidays were two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter, 'Coronation Day' at the end of June and four to five weeks Harvest Holiday in August and September. At times the infants had object lessons on such topics as colour, a cat and, on one occasion, on the text 'The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good' - possibly in an effort to promote good behaviour. In 1869 it was noted that some of the children were so young that they needed to be taken care of rather than instructed!
School holidays were two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter, 'Coronation Day' at the end of June and four to five weeks Harvest Holiday in August and September. At times the infants had object lessons on such topics as colour, a cat and, on one occasion, on the text 'The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good' - possibly in an effort to promote good behaviour. In 1869 it was noted that some of the children were so young that they needed to be taken care of rather than instructed!
In 1870 the H.M.I. report stated 'The Infants are but moderate in discipline and in a wretched state as to attainment.' The infants only improved slowly during the 1870s and were said to be very backward in 1878 while in 1879 it was said, 'In no part of their task did they show any knowledge at all.' However by 1885 in the upper division of the Infants, ' the reading is good and the writing and sums fairly good', and in 1887 they were still making satisfactory progress.
In 1888 the walls of the infants' classroom were in a state of collapse and within two weeks the school was closed for repairs and redecoration. In 1890 there were complaints that there were no proper lavatories and that the classroom was overcrowded. In September 1892 the infants moved to temporary accommodation but according to the 1893 H.M.I report this was unsatisfactory and they emphasised the need for a new building..
In January 1894 the school was taken over by the local School Board and plans for a new school were drawn up. The new school was built in Gravel Close to take infants, boys and girls from the British Schools and boys from the Free School. It opened on Monday 17 February 1896 and the infants had a separate room in the new school. Further information can be found under 'Gravel Close School'.
In 1888 the walls of the infants' classroom were in a state of collapse and within two weeks the school was closed for repairs and redecoration. In 1890 there were complaints that there were no proper lavatories and that the classroom was overcrowded. In September 1892 the infants moved to temporary accommodation but according to the 1893 H.M.I report this was unsatisfactory and they emphasised the need for a new building..
In January 1894 the school was taken over by the local School Board and plans for a new school were drawn up. The new school was built in Gravel Close to take infants, boys and girls from the British Schools and boys from the Free School. It opened on Monday 17 February 1896 and the infants had a separate room in the new school. Further information can be found under 'Gravel Close School'.