EDUCATION.
(fn. 98) In 1692 William Slinger, a
former master of Colchester grammar school,
may have kept a private school in Copford. (fn. 99) A
private school was recorded in 1766, and by 1778
there were two, one for boys and one for girls. (fn. 1)
In 1818 there were several dame schools in the
parish. (fn. 2) By 1833 one private day school with 34
pupils was recorded, and a Sunday school with
42 pupils had been established, supported by
voluntary contributions. (fn. 3)
In 1853 Copford National mixed school for
80 was built on land given by the rector with
funds raised by subscription and with National
Society and government grants. In 1883, when
a new classroom was added to bring the accommodation to 118, there was a teacher's house on
the same site. In 1899 the average attendance
was 77. (fn. 4) The school was originally maintained
by subscriptions and the children's pence and
received annual government grants from 1866.
In 1952 it was granted Voluntary Controlled
status. (fn. 5) The school was extended in the 1970s.
Eight Ash Green Church of England mixed
school, on the corner of Spring Lane and
Halstead Road, was founded by Emily Margaret
Searles's deed poll dated 1886 whereby she conveyed houses and cottages at Eight Ash Green
in Copford to the incumbent for the support of
schools for poor children. (fn. 6) Renamed Copford
Eight Ash Green Church of England school
in 1892, it had accommodation for 107 and
received annual parliamentary grants. In 1923 it
was taken over by the county for use as a temporary council school and in 1926 moved to a
site west of All Saints' church, Halstead Road. (fn. 7)
In 1957 it was a Voluntary Controlled primary
school. (fn. 8) The school moved to new premises at
Fordham Heath in 1976. (fn. 9)
Footnotes
| 98 |
For Copford College private school, see above, this
par., Intro. |
| 99 |
V.C.H. Essex, ii. 506. |
| 1 |
Lamb. Pal. Libr., Terrick Papers 14, Lowth Papers 4. |
| 2 |
Digest of Returns of Sel. Cttee. on Educ. of Poor, H.C.
224, p. 252 (1819), ix (1). |
| 3 |
Educ. Enq. Abstract, H.C. 62, p. 273 (1835), xli. |
| 4 |
Nat. Soc. file; Returns relating to Elem. Educ. 1899
[Cd. 315], p. 324, H.C. (1900), lxv (2). |
| 5 |
Nat Soc. file; Rep. Educ. Cttee. of Council 1866-7
[3882], p. 517, H.C. (1867), xxii; E.R.O., School Records
Survey: Copford Church of England Primary school. |
| 6 |
Char. Com. file. For Kelly's charity which includes a
small portion for schools, see below, this par., Charities. |
| 7 |
Returns relating to Elem. Educ. 1893 [C7529] p. 164,
H.C. (1894), lxv; E.C.C., Ledger of schools opened, closed,
etc.; Eight Ash Green Hist. ed. J. Crawshaw et al., 4. |
| 8 |
E.C.C., List of Schools (1957). |
| 9 |
Eight Ash Green Hist. ed. Crawshaw et al., 6. |