Redlynch C. of E. VA Primary School, Redlynch
Click on a photograph to view it.
Until 1838 there were only small dame schools in the parish but in that year a small school was opened at Warminster Green near to the newly built church of St. Mary. It was built by the Rev. Liscombe Clarke, Vicar of Downton, and was probably of traditional mud (clay and chopped heather) construction, with a thatched roof. It was said to be able to accommodate 156 children and in 1846 the Sunday and Day Schools were attended by 64 boys and 70 girls aged from 4 to 10 years. By 1856 this was reduced to 62, including 12 infants.
By 1864 there was a night school for older boys (11 and over) who were working during the day. Inspection reports in the 1860s show that attendance was irregular but that the standard was reasonable - 'children are in fairly good order' (1867); 'the children are rather backward for their age but the school is in good order' (1869); 'children making good progress, good at religious knowledge and geography but less good at sums.', 'Evening scholars did well in their examinations.' In March 1871 the mixed school was divided into 'Boys' and 'Girls' Schools and a mistress was appointed for the Girls' School. At this time parents paid 1d (about 0.4p) a week for each child but this was proving insufficient to pay for the school. Money was also received from the church and the government.
By 1864 there was a night school for older boys (11 and over) who were working during the day. Inspection reports in the 1860s show that attendance was irregular but that the standard was reasonable - 'children are in fairly good order' (1867); 'the children are rather backward for their age but the school is in good order' (1869); 'children making good progress, good at religious knowledge and geography but less good at sums.', 'Evening scholars did well in their examinations.' In March 1871 the mixed school was divided into 'Boys' and 'Girls' Schools and a mistress was appointed for the Girls' School. At this time parents paid 1d (about 0.4p) a week for each child but this was proving insufficient to pay for the school. Money was also received from the church and the government.
In 1878 there was a proposal that a non-denominational School Board be set up but the ratepayers were against this and looked for more voluntary contributions for the school. Later that year a new school (the present one) was built alongside the old one. The old school was closed in the afternoon of 30 September and the new one formally opened on 2 October with a tea provided for 150 children of the Day and Sunday Schools and for large numbers of ladies and gentlemen. There was a concert in the new schoolroom in the afternoon and a 'splendid Magic Lantern Show' given by the vicar in the evening. The children began life in their new school on 3 October and 20 infants, who were too young to attend the opening, were given tea after school that day.
The school logbooks survive from 1867 and provide an interesting picture of life in the school. In the 1860s the schoolmaster was assisted by a monitor and monitoress, although by November 1868 two more were employed for the largest class. Monitors were paid and some went on to become pupil teachers, being taught by the head and also attending lessons and examinations in Salisbury. In the 1880s the pupil teacher was receiving lessons from the head before school started in the morning but in 1886 this was changed to 5.15 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. in the evening. In the new school there were three rooms, one each for boys, girls and infants.
The school logbooks survive from 1867 and provide an interesting picture of life in the school. In the 1860s the schoolmaster was assisted by a monitor and monitoress, although by November 1868 two more were employed for the largest class. Monitors were paid and some went on to become pupil teachers, being taught by the head and also attending lessons and examinations in Salisbury. In the 1880s the pupil teacher was receiving lessons from the head before school started in the morning but in 1886 this was changed to 5.15 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. in the evening. In the new school there were three rooms, one each for boys, girls and infants.
The basic lessons were reading, writing and arithmetic and these included grammar, dictation, composition, spelling, and more complicated mathematics for the older children. Other subjects were geography (Britain, Europe and the world), religious knowledge, recitation, history, sewing and singing. Often the vicar taught religious knowledge to the children. Slates and copybooks and exercise books were used for writing and parents paid for the books used. Later object lessons were given on all aspects of one item. These would include wood, chalk, water, slate, the sun, the moon, a sweeping brush, haymaking, a carriage, a river, a carpenter, coffee, a hop garden, a winter day, a seal. Children were divided into 5 or 6 standards by ability. In 1883 'Home lessons' (homework) was given out and two mothers objected to their children having to do schoolwork at home. This had also happened in 1873 when parents objected to their children doing schoolwork in the evening.
The school day began at 9.00 a.m. and ended at 3.45 p.m. From 1880 the afternoon school was changed in winter to a 1.15 p.m. start instead of 1.30 p.m. and children finished at 3.30 p.m. so that those who had a long walk home would arrive home before dark. Children who lived closer to the school would often go home at mid-day. Attendance at the school varied greatly and absences were very common, with some children staying away for long periods of time. In the 1870s the average attendance was over 100 but this dropped to 73 by 1881, rose to 88 in 1882 and continued to increase during the 1880s. The year 1887 proved an exception, as there was particularly bad weather that reduced the average attendance to 73.
School holidays were normally 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Easter (some years this was reduced to Good Friday and Easter Monday only), 1 week at Whitsun (late May) and 4 weeks Harvest Holiday in August. There were other full and half day holidays for many reasons. These included Ascension Day, Ash Wednesday, the annual school treat, picnics given by local landowners and a half-day holiday for Downton Fair. The school also closed when the Clothing Club was held in the building and the children also received half-day holidays after Government inspections and for church and chapel Sunday school treats.
School holidays were normally 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Easter (some years this was reduced to Good Friday and Easter Monday only), 1 week at Whitsun (late May) and 4 weeks Harvest Holiday in August. There were other full and half day holidays for many reasons. These included Ascension Day, Ash Wednesday, the annual school treat, picnics given by local landowners and a half-day holiday for Downton Fair. The school also closed when the Clothing Club was held in the building and the children also received half-day holidays after Government inspections and for church and chapel Sunday school treats.
Individual children were absent from school for many reasons. Some of these were seasonal activities connected with farming and harvesting plant materials from the forest. Children stayed at home for potato planting in April (older boys), haymaking in June, for a late harvest or gleaning in September and for potato picking and acorn and leaf gathering in October. Sometimes older boys were at home minding the pigs. Other reasons recorded are attending a Temperance Demonstration in 1882 and a Temperance Fete in 1886, watching troops encamped nearby in 1876, and attending Downton or Salisbury Fairs. At other times boys were kept at home for gardening and one was helping his father who was a painter.
Serious illnesses were more common than today and would often spread quickly among the schoolchildren. Measles was around most years lasting four to five weeks in 1877 when the school was closed for a week. When it re-opened only 34 children were fit to attend. In October 1883 the school had to be closed for two weeks. Other illnesses including whooping cough and scarlet fever and sometimes children died from these, as a boy did in 1873. Teachers were not immune and were also absent through illness and in November 1876 the schoolmistress for the girls died.
Serious illnesses were more common than today and would often spread quickly among the schoolchildren. Measles was around most years lasting four to five weeks in 1877 when the school was closed for a week. When it re-opened only 34 children were fit to attend. In October 1883 the school had to be closed for two weeks. Other illnesses including whooping cough and scarlet fever and sometimes children died from these, as a boy did in 1873. Teachers were not immune and were also absent through illness and in November 1876 the schoolmistress for the girls died.
Bad weather was responsible for many children not attending school and in February 1883 the school had to be closed for two days because torrential rain made it impossible for most children to reach the school because of flooding. Snow was also a problem with only 27 children reaching the school through deep snow in December 1867 and only 19 in 1871. Deep snow seems to have caused problems in the early 1880s as well.
Punishments for bad behaviour could be severe, as in 1867 when four boys were flogged for inattention at lessons and two boys caned for inattention and telling lies. Other misdemeanours included swearing at dinnertime, being saucy to the Master, destroying hedges in a field next to the school, throwing stones and shouting in the street and frightening the vicar's horse. Other punishments included, being made to stand on a form all morning, kept in a dinnertime, dismissed from the school, and re-writing work that was badly done.
Punishments for bad behaviour could be severe, as in 1867 when four boys were flogged for inattention at lessons and two boys caned for inattention and telling lies. Other misdemeanours included swearing at dinnertime, being saucy to the Master, destroying hedges in a field next to the school, throwing stones and shouting in the street and frightening the vicar's horse. Other punishments included, being made to stand on a form all morning, kept in a dinnertime, dismissed from the school, and re-writing work that was badly done.
In 1881 the school said to be at a very low ebb, both in discipline and attainments in the H.M.I. report. The schoolmistress left at Easter and was replaced by a schoolmaster and work on the school was carried out during the Easter Holidays. There was a slight improvement by May but in 1883 there was another poor report indicating that the master concentrated too much on grammar and geography to the detriment of other subjects. Geography was discontinued in March 1884 for a year. The infants' room was said to be 'dingy and squalid' in 1883. In 1884 the school was said to be in good order and had passed a very fair examination although the infants were still backward. However in 1887 the report said that the school 'did not reach a high standard of attainment' and there was a very poor performance in the H.M.I. examinations in 1888. However there was a very good report on the examinations of religious knowledge in 1889.
The School Managers adopted a new system of fees from 1 May 1890. Older children paid 2d (about 0.8p) a week and families (any number of children) paid 4d (about 1.6p) a week. If children arrived at school on time each day for a week they were given a token for a penny off the next week's fee. After children attended 300 times they only paid a penny a week and still received the tokens if they were punctual. This meant that a child who regularly attended school and arrived on time had free education for three winter months. The infants continued to pay 1d. The school day was now from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon and from 1.45 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
By 1893 the school was receiving better H.M.I. reports and three teachers were now employed. In 1903 control of the school passed to Wiltshire County Council as local education authority. Average attendance rose to 97 in 1906 and over 100 in 1907. The school remained an all age, or elementary, school taking children until the fixed school leaving age. In April 1926 the school was closed because the well had been contaminated from a nearby cesspool and had to be cleared out.
By 1893 the school was receiving better H.M.I. reports and three teachers were now employed. In 1903 control of the school passed to Wiltshire County Council as local education authority. Average attendance rose to 97 in 1906 and over 100 in 1907. The school remained an all age, or elementary, school taking children until the fixed school leaving age. In April 1926 the school was closed because the well had been contaminated from a nearby cesspool and had to be cleared out.
In October 1932 the school started the Horlick's Milk Scheme with 40 children receiving it regularly. Average attendances were dropping and hit a low of 30 in 1938. During the war soldiers dug trenches in 1940 to provide shelter for the children in case of air raids and in 1942 the children picked rose hips for the war effort; in 1918 during the First World War the children had been given a holiday afternoon to pick blackberries that were urgently needed by the Ministry of Food.
Electric light was installed in the school on 24 January 1947 and by 1951 the attendance had risen to 51. By the 1955 the children aged over 11 went to school in Downton or Salisbury and in 1975 the Infant and Junior School at Redlynch had 91 pupils. In 2002 there were 57 children, aged between 4 and 11 years at the school.
Electric light was installed in the school on 24 January 1947 and by 1951 the attendance had risen to 51. By the 1955 the children aged over 11 went to school in Downton or Salisbury and in 1975 the Infant and Junior School at Redlynch had 91 pupils. In 2002 there were 57 children, aged between 4 and 11 years at the school.