Education in Caddington
Early Education
Caddington National School elevation [AD3865/9]
The earliest reference to education in Caddington in any document held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is in X95/30, the will of Henry May dated 1683 where he leaves a cottage on Caddington Green "where I keep school" to his sister. This cannot be too far away from Heathfield Lower School! The Bishop of Lincoln carried out visitations to Bedfordshire in 1717 and 1720 and for both of these a list of questions was sent out in advance, one of which enquired about the provision of schools in each parish. In 1717 there were no schools in Caddington; although a few children had private tuition. Three years later there was still no public charity school. Some children were taught with the costs being paid by the minister and others. The parish records reveal (P35/18/3) that in 1757 the Overseers had drawn up a contract to teach poor children in the parish workhouse; P35/12/1 is the contract with a Governess for the workhouse to do that teaching.
In 1818 a Select Committee was established to enquire into educational provision for the poor. This was no doubt prompted, in part, by the recent foundation of two societies promoting education and specifically the building of schools. The Society for Promoting the Lancasterian System for the Education of the Poor was established in 1808 promoting schools run along the lines pioneered by Joseph Lancaster, who had himself copied those of Dr.Andrew Bell, in which older children taught their younger fellows. The Society was renamed the British and Foreign School Society in 1814,. It was supported by a number of prominent nonconformists, Lancaster himself was a Quaker, and sought to teach a non-sectarian curriculum. In answer to this perceived nonconformist takeover of local education the National Society was formed in 1811 to encourage the teaching of poor children along Anglican lines, including the catechism. The Select Committee sent a questionnaire to all parishes in the country asking for: particulars relating to endowments for the education of children; other educational institutions; observations of parish needs etc. The return for cadd noted: "The poor of Caddington have not the means of education, and are desirous of possessing them’.
In the country generally the number of schools built continued to grow over the next fifteen years so that by 1833 the government agreed to supplement the work of the two societies, and local benefactors, by making £20,000 per annum available in grants to help build schools. It also prompted another questionnaire to be sent to each parish in England asking for details of local educational provision. The return for Caddington recorded two daily schools with a total of 85 boys and 71 girls whose parents paid for their education. There were also two Sunday schools; both supported by voluntary contributions. The Baptist School taught 120 children and the Wesleyan Methodists, 66. In those days a Sunday School was just that, a school which met on a Sunday, usually in the church or nonconformist chapel or other similar building, teaching more than the religious topics with which they are associated today.
The next national enquiry was in 1846/7 when the Church of England made an enquiry as to all its church schools. This was against the background of a new Whig government which championed secular education and the increasing importance of nonconformists, particularly Wesleyan Methodist, and Roman Catholics in providing schools. In Caddington 72 children attended the Church of England Sunday school but it was recorded that: ‘The children are educated in the church. A schoolroom is wanted’.
Caddington National School
Caddington National School plan [AD3865/9]
This school was established in 1859. Being a National School meant it was affiliated to the National Society, an Anglican foundation seeking to educate the children of the poor in the catechism of the Church of England as well as reading, writing and arithmetic. The first Education Act was passed in 1870 (more correctly it was known as the Elementary Education Act). It was a milestone in the provision of education in Britain demonstrating central government's unequivocal support for education of all classes across the country. It also sought to secularise education by allowing the creation of School Boards. These were groups of representatives, elected by the local ratepayers and the Board had the powers to raise funds to form a local rate to support local education, build and run schools, pay the fees of the poorest children, make local school attendance compulsory between the ages of 5 and 13 and could even support local church schools, though in practice they replaced them, turning them into Board run schools (known as Board Schools). Caddington National School was taken over by the Caddington School Board in 1875.
20th Century Education in Caddington
A land mark Education Act was passed in 1902, coming into effect in 1903. It disbanded the School Boards and gave day to day running of education to newly formed Local Education Authorities, usually the county council, as in Bedfordshire. The old Board Schools thus became Council Schools whilst the old National, British and other non-Board schools became known as Public Elementary Schools. Caddington duly became a Council School.
Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has a register of Education Inspector's reports for Bedfordshire schools (E/IN1/1) and those for Caddington cover the period 1911 to 1935. The 1911 report states "In a year of considerable difficulty good work has been done in all Classes…and the tone, order and attainments of the children reflect credit upon the Teacher". By 1913 the Inspector reported "The whole of the work bears the stamp of care and thoroughness and order and tone are excellent".
The children sometimes received treats; December 22nd 1914 ‘Through the kindness of the vicar and Mr Brigg the children were given tea on breaking up (for Christmas). Mr Stewart, a local tradesman, gave an orange to each child.’ And later the following year the school was closed on the 21st and 28th July for the annual Sunday school treats.
The first Inspector's report after the Great War, that for 1921 reported some weakness in the reading of the infants but was overall very satisfied with the school, picking out singing ,written work, drawing and PE for special praise. By 1925 the weakness in reading had disappeared but PE had fallen off being "satisfactory as far as it goes, but it should go further, and should be carried on out of doors". The following year the Inspector criticised the smallness of the school garden and the rusty tools noting that only an hour a week was devoted to gardening and only six scholars in the class.
In 1927 the school and school house were valued under the 1925 rating Valuation Act. The valuer considered the school house: "v.nice" it had two reception rooms, a living room and scullery downstairs with three bedrooms above one of which was over the school; also: "There is a small porch in front of house" with a workshop, barn and earth closet outside. Of the school he noted that it had been built for 142 and at present had 108 with an average attendance of about 105 "There are 2 rooms", there was a large brick and slate earth closet in good condition.
In 1928 it was found that "within somewhat narrow limits a very good standard of attainment is reached" reflecting credit on the Headmaster of 34 years, books were needed for the lower years in the school, however. In 1931 it was recorded that staff changes had caused the Headmaster "some anxiety" making class sizes large and giving staffing problems when boys (drawing and gardening) were split off from girls (needlework). Overall the Inspector was very satisfied with the junior school and its Headmaster but of the infants said "The Infant's section is taught on traditional lines but the children have made very good progress". In 1935 it was noted "The Head Master has got a good grip on the problems here, and is well supported by his Staff. The population of the school is migratory; since the 1st January 1934 60 children have been admitted, 32 of whom had been to other schools, and 9 have left again". In one class, as a result of this influx, there were three groups of children each of which had been taught by different methods.
The Second World War brought evacuated children to Caddington. An extract from the school logbook dated September 11th 1939 records: "Evacuation of unaccompanied children and adults with children from London has taken place. 96 children with masters and mistresses from Christ Church School Hampstead have been evacuated here". This meant that the school had to find more accommodation and decide how to share the teaching. During the war the school was used as a First Aid Point.
The third of the great Education Acts was that of 1944 which established the principle of County Primary Schools for children up to the age of 11, at which time they took an examination to determine the nature of the secondary school they would attend until they were 15, the most academically able going to grammar schools, the rest to secondary or secondary modern schools. Caddington duly became a County Primary School; in 1952 the name changed to Heathfield to mark a move into new premises on The Green.
Heathfield Lower School in March 2007
In the 1970s Bedfordshire County Council introduced comprehensive education, doing away with the 11+ examination and grammar schools and introducing a tier of school between the old County Primary and County Secondary Schools. Thus Lower Schools now taught children aged 4 to 9, Middle Schools from 9 to 13 and Upper Schools from 13 onwards. Heathfield became a Lower School in 1974. Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service holds admission registers from 1910 to 1973 [SDCadH1/1-2] and has microfilm [Micf38/2] of logbooks from 1885 to 1975.
newly built Five Oaks CSM 1967 [PY/PH36/5]
Other Schools
Caddington has a second lower school, Willowfield which was built as a County Primary in the early 1960s. From the same date and on the same site is Five Oaks Middle School (for pupils aged 9 to 13) which began life as Five Oaks County Secondary Modern in 1967. Two Dunstable schools are also within the civil parish of Caddington, Manshead Upper School and Streetfield Middle School, both of which opened in 1972 and 1979 respectively on the same site in Dunstable Road.
Manshead Upper School in March 2007
Sources
Early
- C606: children to be "put to scoole": 1633;
- X95/30: will of Henry May "cottage where I keep school" on Caddington Green: 1683;
- P35/18/3: contract for maintenance of poor regarding teaching children in parish workhouse: 1757;
- P35/12/1: contract with governess for parish workhouse: 1761
National/Board/Council/County Primary/Heathfield Lower School
- Across the Green a history of Heathfield School;
- AD3865/9: plans of school and master's house: c.1858;
- SB7/1-2: Caddington & Flamstead School Board financial statements: 1875-1903;
- Micf38/2: microfilmed school logbooks: 1885-1975;
- SB7/3: School Board clerk's report to LEA: 1903;
- E/TE5/1: details of teachers: 1904-1908;
- E/TE5/2: details of teachers: 1908-1912;
- SDCadH1/1: admission register: 1910-1940;
- E/IN1/1: inspector's reports: 1911-1938;
- SMM34/1: school managers' minutes: 1919-1974;
- SDCadH1/2: admission register: 1940-1973;
- CA8/546: file on new school at Caddington Green: 1952-1981;
- SDCadH2/1: school logbook: 1955-1975;
- CA2/657: file on additional land: 1965-1967;
- SDCadH1/3: admission register: 1973-2003;
- CA2/613: nursery accommodation building file: 1975-1978;
- E/TE3/3: return of teaching staff: 1981;
- E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
- E/MS3/2/4: kitchen and other details: c.1987;
- E/Pu4/4/190: prospectus: 1995
Willowfield County Primary/Lower School
- SMM34/1: school managers' minutes: 1919-1974;
- CA2/306: file on construction of new school: 1963-1973;
- E/TE3/3: return of teaching staff: 1981;
- E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
- E/MS3/2/4: kitchen and other details: c.1987;
- E/TE2/2/14: details of teaching staff: 1988
Five Oaks County Secondary Modern/Middle School
- CA2/136: building file for new school: 1961-1965;
- PY/PH36/1-12: internior and exterior photographs of school: 1963-1967;
- SGM8: governors' minutes: 1964-1973;
- E/YM1/1/2 and CA2/98: proposed youth annexe at school: 1964-1965;
- CA8/276: building maintenance file: 1964-1976;
- CA2/658: improvements to minibus garage: 1967-1969;
- CA8/806: building maintenance file: 1976-1982;
- CA2/614: improvements to Home Economics block: 1978;
- E/TE3/1: return of teaching staff: 1980;
- E/PM6/2/4: school opposition to abolition of corporal punishment: 1985-1986;
- E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
- E/SC2/Cad1/2: debate over future of school: 1984;
- E/MS3/2/4: kitchen and other details: c.1987;
- E/Pu4/4/26: prospectus: 1995
Streetfield Middle School
- CCE2070/1-9: deeds to school site: 1927-1994;
- CA2/907: building project file for new school: 1973-1982;
- CA2/693: building plans etc.: 1978;
- PY/PH47/1: interior and exterior photographs: 1978-1979;
- E/OL1/6/1: report on experience of using travel firm for foreign exchange visit: 1979;
- E/TE3/1: return of teaching staff: 1980;
- E/OL1/5/1: participation in school exchange with Calvados [Normandy]: 1984;
- E/PM6/2/4: school op[position to abolition of corporal punishment: 1985-1986;
- E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
- E/SC2/Dun2: notes of public meetung discussing future of school: 1986;
- E/MS3/2/4: kitchen and other details: c.1987;
- E/TE2/2/M10: details of teaching staff: 1989;
- E/Pu4/4/225: prospectus: 1995
Manshead Upper School
- CCE2070/1-9: deeds to school site: 1927-1994;
- CA2/427: building file: 1967-1975;
- SGM13: school governors' minutes: 1968-1973;
- CA2/471: Phase II and III construction file: 1970-1976;
- CA2/664: Phase III construction file: 1971-1976;
- PY/PH125/1-4: interior and exterior photographs: 1971-1972;
- CA8/395: building maintenance file: 1972-1978;
- CA2/631: alterations and adaptations file: 1974-1977;
- E/SE2/2/4: school donation of a caravan to Glenwood Special School, Dunstable: 1976;
- E/SA1/3/2: file on admissions policy and disagreement with LEA: 1978-1984;
- CA8/831: building maintenance file: 1978-1982;- E/OL1/6/1: report on experience of using travel firm for foreign exchange visit: 1979;
- E/TE3/1: return of teaching staff: 1980;
- E/SC3/D-Man1: proposed closure of school: 1982;
- E/Pu4/5/5: notes for parents: 1982;
- E/SA4/1/1: admission procedures: 1982;
- CA2/734: room adaptations etc.: 1982-1984;
- E/SA4/1/2: correspondence on admission arrangements: 1984;
- E/CU3/13/5-6: establishment of pre-vocational courses: 1985;
- E/TE3/6: return of teaching staff: 1986;
- E/ME4/2/1: notes on multicultural education at school: 1986-1988;
- E/MS3/2/5: kitchen and other details: c.1987