ARMTHORPE CHURCH OF ENGLAND (CONTROLLED) SCHOOL RECORDS

Comprising: log books 1882-1993; admission registers 1907-1992; punishment book 1907-1955; managers and visitors book 1904-1950; photographs 1909-1992; other records 1904-1993

This school opened its doors as Armthorpe National School in 1842. The school that the parish built in 1842 was a simple two room structure with a school room measuring 600 square feet.

No records of the school survive prior to 1882, but the construction date is known from two sources: one is a date stone under the eaves of the oldest classroom, the other is a plan of 1842 and a trust deed of 1845. The trust deed specified that the instruction of the said school shall comprise at least the following branches of learning: reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, scripture, history, and needlework (in the case of girls).

School funds came from three main sources: the government grant, voluntary subscriptions from the local gentry, and the 'school pence'. The latter were fees paid by pupils attending the school. In the 1880s these fees were 6d for farmers and 2d for cottages—the fees ceased in October 1891 with the introduction of free education. Supplementary income came from a variety of sources (e.g. jumble sales, the annual gymkhana, and Easter collections at the parish church).

The finances of the school improved with the passing of the Education Act of 1902 which made the local education authority (the West Riding County Council in this case) responsible for teacher's salaries and running costs. However, building maintenance and improvement still remained the responsibility of the school managers.

In February 1908 the Armthorpe school managers received a letter from the County Council asking them to build a new class room, and to make other improvements. The letter suggested that if they were unable to comply then the council were prepared to build a new council school. The managers therefore resolved that 'It was the unanimous feeling of the meeting that no effort should be spared to prevent the building of a council school' (Doncaster Archives P36/8/2).

Plans for extensions including a 600 square foot new classroom were put in hand. The works were then carried out between October 1909 and January 1910. The maintenance of the school's independance cost £679; over three times the schools typical yearly expenditure.

It became solely an infants school from 1 April 1930, and the school was extended again in August and September 1963. The school celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1992 before closing permanently the following year; pupils left for the last time on 26 July 1993.

The collection is divided into four series as follows:

SR114/1: Log Books

SR114/2: Admission Registers

SR114/3: Managers' Records

SR114/4: Headteachers' Records

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Doncaster RDC building control plan 1426.

The records relating to the school can be found in the parish records of Armothorpe, references P36/4/A1 and P36/8/1 and 2.

See DXBAX/61126/2 and 61737 for a plan of 1842 and a trust of 1845 which date the construction of the school.