Note – this is written as a supplement for a piece about schools across Kettering, but the policies discussed applied country-wide.
During the 19th century, towns like Kettering might have had many small and informal schools which weren’t part of the emerging mainstream school system. While some of these would offer a decent basic education, others were poorly equipped or barely supervised.
They would would have struggled to survive as education laws tightened, and as Mainstream Schools became more accessible.
Types of “Mainstream School”
⚫ British Schools – established from 1808 by the British and Foreign School Society. They were Christian schools which weren’t part of the Church of England.
⚫ National Schools – established from 1811 by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. This was set up because the Church of England didn’t want to lose control of their religious influence of the poor.Christian schools which weren’t part of the Church of England.
⚫ Board Schools – established from 1870, following that year’s Elementary Education Act. They were largely non-religious, run by School Boards.
Types of “Informal School”
As these schools weren’t regulated, their titles were unofficial.
⚫ Dame Schools – usually overseen by an older woman, these schools would teach basic literacy, sewing, or arithmetic for a fee.
⚫ Private Academies / Preparatory Schools – these were usually more formal than Dame Schools, run as businesses. They were often taught by clergymen, educated women, or former schoolmasters.
⚫ Parish Schools – some Church schools were run outside of the British or National Schools system. These would have been more common before 1808. clergymen, educated women, or former schoolmasters.
⚫ “Spare Rooms” – some individuals would have taught small numbers of pupils within their own homes, or hired out spaces.
Below is a list of the various pieces of legislature that drove the Informal Schools out of practice.
Elementary Education Act (1870)
- Areas which didn’t have enough school places were to set up School Boards.
- The schools they set up were called Board Schools, providing a mostly non-religious education.
- The Informal Schools, which couldn’t compete with these better-funded establishments, were pushed out of use.
Elementary Education Act (1876)
- Made school attendance compulsory for children aged five-to-ten.
- While this would usually mean an Elementary School, exceptions could be made if the Informal School met efficiency standards.
- If a pupil was attending a school which didn’t meet these standards, the exception wouldn’t be made.
- Pupils wouldn’t be given the exception for schools which didn’t meet these standards, which meant they moved over to Elementary Schools.
Elementary Education Act (1880)
- Further enforced attendance rules – local bylaws required all children to attend approved schools.
- Unlicensed schools were now illegal.
Elementary Education Act (1899)
- This tightened the rules even further.
- The school leaving age was raised to twelve.
Education Act (1902)
- School Boards were abolished and their responsibilities were transferred to local education authorities (LEAs).
- LEAs had the power to inspect and fund schools.
- This brought British and National Schools under public scrutiny.
- Informal Schools no long had official funding or recognition.
Education Act (1918)
- The school leaving age was raised to fourteen.
- Schools had to meet new standards for curriculum and staffing.
- Many Informal Schools closed down for not meeting these standards.
Jack Preston 