Teacher Notes: A Brief History of Schools

Find examples and photographs of all of these types of school in the Image by Theme: Schools

Schools before 1870

Until the late nineteenth century education was not compulsory and there were relatively few schools. The schools that did exist were set up by wealthy individuals, employers or religious bodies.

  • Dame schoolswere run by private individuals with no qualifications. They generally offered a very basic level of education to local children for a small fee. Some provided little more than a baby-sitting service. They were popular with working class parents who felt able to relate to the teachers and continued until the end of the nineteenth century.
  • Charity schools date back to the Medieval period. They were run by religious or philanthropic groups, often as part of an endowment along with almshouses. Some were set up by clergymen or local landowners and run in private homes or church vestries for a limited period of time. Others were financed by charitable trusts and may still exist today. They were mainly concerned with educating children in the knowledge and practice of Christianity and to prepare them for apprenticeships or domestic service.
  • Grammar Schools were set up from the 15th century to provide a free education to poor children. They were generally founded by philanthropists, charitable organisations or guilds, such as the Merchant Taylor's Company. They were generally built in the centre of towns or villages.Many old established grammar schools moved out of town centres during the Victorian period. This allowed them toexpand and attract pupils from the wealthy middle class families who were moving into the new suburban housing developments.
  • Many children worked and may only have been educated in Sunday Schools. Sunday Schools were established from the 1780s and taught basic literacy, numeracy and Religious Education. Some of the buildings were substantial and by 1851 support was being provided by the Sunday School Union.
  • Children who worked were sometimes educated in Sunday Schools or may have had part time education in a FactorySchool. These were generally provided by factory owners after legislation in 1833 limited the number of hours children could work. Some of these industrial schools were later incorporated into the local authority system.
  • The term ‘IndustrialSchool’ referred, at different times, to other kinds of schools as well as to factory schools. Some were built for pauper children who, in addition to reading and religious education, were taught skills such as spinning, sewing or cobbling. The goods they produced were then sold and paid for the upkeep of the school. By 1866 Day Industrial schools catered for truants and were the forerunners of approved schools.
  • Churches of all denominations became more directly involved with running schools after 1811 when two societies were set up to help build schools; The British and Foreign School Society and The National Society. From 1833 they were supported by grants from the government and in 1839a governmentEducationCommittee was formed to approve building plans and appoint inspectors. The 2 societies had different educational methods that influenced the design and layout of their schools.
  • The British and Foreign School Society supported the building of schools called British Schools on behalf of the Nonconformist churches. The British schools taught boys and girls in fixed rows of desks facing the master's desk. Standards placed at the end of the rows marked the different age groups and the name 'Standard' was later used to describe a class. Wide aisles at either end allowed monitors [older pupils] to teach groups of eight to twelve pupils who stood facing a lesson board along a semi-circle drawn on the ground.
  • The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church supported the building of National Schools, sometimes called parish schools, on behalf of the Church of England.National Schools generally had two separate schoolrooms for girls and boys and desks were placed around the walls. Pupils were taught by monitors in groups of twelve to twenty either standing up or on benches arranged in hollow squares in the centre of the room. These benches could be re arranged to suit the lesson
  • Both systems built plain school buildings with a schoolmaster’s house at one side. They had large schoolrooms sometimes accommodating over a hundred children and supervised by just one qualified master.
  • From the 1820s separate classrooms were added to many schools for infants. These often contained galleries where the desks were arranged on steps so that the master could see all the children and talk directly to them – the start of the ‘chalk and talk’ approach. It also allowed them to see the objects or pictures that lessons were based upon. In some galleries the infants had to stand up for their lessons.
  • In the 1850s it became more common for the master to have a qualified assistant and some pupil teachers [trained on an apprenticeship basis]. More direct teaching was employed on the infant model and galleries and separate classrooms became more widespread.
  • Schools were built with a large central hall [that could double as a classroom] with separate classrooms off it. Although there was a teacher in each room the head teacher had his desk in the hall and could see into all the rooms through large windows and thus supervise the whole school.
  • RaggedSchools began in the 1850s when the Earl of Shaftesbury promoted the idea that children should work less and have at least basic schooling. These schools were generally taken into the School Board system after 1870.

The School Board Era 1870 - 1902

The first state system of elementary schools was established by the 1870 Elementary Education Act. It led to a massive increase in the number of schools. Where churches were not providing enough school places, School Boards were set up to provide schools, supported by household rates. These schools were not based on any religious denomination. Many towns elected a School Board under the provisions of the Act. The Education Department still had a say in the building of schools.

  • The school boards built schools known as Board Schools. The aim was to provide children with uplifting surroundings that were practical, light and airy and with an artistic finish.
  • The school board style of architecture that developed is very distinctive, although each board developed its own adaptations.
  • Early board schools (1870s) were generally built in a Gothic style. This was similar to religious buildings with towers and tall, high-up windows with pointed arches.
  • This style was gradually replaced by a more homely, non religious,Queen Annestyle (1880s onwards). The rich red brick buildings were decorated with terracotta and tiles and there were regular rows of large rectangular sash windows. Gables and towers were popular with many of the school board architects.
  • In the early years of the 20th century school design responded to changes in educational ideas, including the introduction of more separate classrooms.
  • At the same time changing ideas about hygiene led to the introduction of indoor, flushing toilets to replace earlier earth closets.
  • Between 1907 and 1914 new ideas about healthy living, light and ventilation led to schools with larger, opening windows and airy,verandah style corridors.
  • The churches fought to keep their hold on education by extending existing schools and building new ones. The National Society in particular built many schools in an effort to stop school boards being formed. By the 1890s they were struggling to compete.
  • The schools they built in this period were generally smaller and plainer than the board schools and did not have the same level of facilities. Many still had just two large rooms. This was due partly to outmoded educational ideas and partly to lack of finance. These schools were known as Voluntary schools.

Education was not made compulsory until 1880 and then only up to the age of 10. It was not provided free of charge until 1891.The minimum school leaving age rose to 12 in 1899. The school boards were wound up in 1902and Local Education Authorities were set up. There were still voluntary schools run by churches.

1902 – 1940

  • Before 1902 money was given only for elementary education although some school boards had started to build HigherGrade Schoolsor TechnicalSchoolsfor bright children over 12.
  • Far fewer elementary schools were built in this period, mainly in suburbs and on new housing estates in rapidly growing industrial towns. Designs were often single story, on larger sites, giving maximum light and ventilation. Schools were designed around the needs of children, rather than the teacher. There was particular emphasis on their health with Open Air schools provided for sickly or undernourished children.
  • The 1902 Education Act made provision for the building of Secondary schools. There were 272 in 1902 and 1000 by 1912. The focus for design was prestige rather than health and the style was generally a symmetrical Georgian type style. The education given was general rather than vocational. Both the style and education were similar to the Grammar schools.
  • In the 1930s the first VillageColleges or community schools were built

Post War

1 in 5 schools were damaged during World War Two. Planning for new schools began in 1943 and led to the reorganisation of secondary education in 1944.

  • Pre fabricated buildings with a light, steel framed system were used initially for primary and then for secondary schools. These schools were quick to build and the design, based on single units bolted together, was very adaptable. The buildings were very plain from the outside; the steel frames were clad in tiles, timber or concrete. There were many windows which were low enough for even small children to look out of, but turned classrooms into greenhouses in summer.
  • The 1944 Act introduced the system of Grammar, Technical Grammar and Secondary Modern schools based on the results of the 11 plus examination. For the first time there would be enough secondary schools for all children. The grammar and technical grammar schools were built on traditional lines but the new secondary modern schools were built to new designs with large areas of glass.
  • Some areas preferred to educate all children in one school and the Comprehensive school was developed. Leicestershire was one of the first authorities to move to a comprehensive system in 1957. Schools built in the 1960s were community based and new, open plan, designs allowed for approaches such as team teaching.
  • Primary schools were also based on open plan designs in the 1960s with grouped teaching and activity areas around a central library or resource centre.

For further information see:

‘England’s Schools History, architecture and adaptation’ Elain Harwood, 2010 available from English Heritage

‘The Victorian Schoolroom’Trevor May Shire Library3021994, ISBN: 9780747802433 available via