EDUCATION.
Richard Wilding, curate of Daw
ley in 1605, and William Banks, rector of Stirchley 1715-58, probably held schools in Dawley (fn. 45)
and Richard Poyner was recorded as a schoolmaster there 1718-22. (fn. 46) By 1772 I. H. Browne, owner
of Malinslee, was paying for the schooling of 15
children, probably in the Sunday school that he
and his tenants, the Botfields, continued to support in 1799. (fn. 47) By 1833 there were 8 Sunday
schools, two run by the established church and
supported by subscription and six provided by
nonconformists. There were several private
schools for young children but no public day
school, despite the rapidly increasing
population. (fn. 48) The earliest nonconformist Sunday
school in the area was probably the Wesleyan
school at Lawley Bank, opened 1806. (fn. 49) Other
Wesleyan schools were opened at Little Dawley in
1813 and Horsehay in 1819; the Revivalist
Methodists opened a school at Brandlee in 1822. (fn. 50)
In 1833 one of the nonconformist Sunday schools
had a lending library attached. (fn. 51)
Public day schools were founded from 1832. In
1875 a school board for the parish was formed
compulsorily. It was chaired by W. G. Norris, a
Quaker and manager of the Coalbrookdale Co.,
the first vice-chairman, and from 1894 the clerk to
the board, being Charles Buckworth-HerneSoame (9th bt. 1888; d. 1906), an Anglican and
physician. (fn. 52) A board school was opened at Langley in 1878 and the board took over the management of the Pool Hill schools in 1887. The
standard of elementary education in Dawley was
high in the later 19th century, particularly at Pool
Hill and Langley schools. (fn. 53) A notable feature of
the curriculum was the regular instruction in art
and drawing that, from the 1860s, visiting masters
gave to both boys and girls at Pool Hill, Langley,
and Dawley Bank schools. (fn. 54) Evening schools were
held at the National schools from the 1860s (fn. 55) and
were started at Pool Hill under the county council's guidance in 1893. (fn. 56) In the later 19th and
earlier 20th century children were often absent
from school in September when they accompanied their parents to pick fruit in
Gloucestershire. (fn. 57)
The paucity of private schools in later 19thcentury Dawley probably reflects the small middle-class population of the area. Only Mrs. E. M.
Smith's school for girls in King Street, recorded
from 1879 to 1900, lasted for more than a few
years. (fn. 58)
After the Second World War some 19thcentury schools, whose buildings needed replacing, were closed, and new schools were opened for
Dawley's expanding population. Dawley was one
of the last places in Shropshire to be provided
with secondary education, a modern school opening only in 1956. In the provision of nursery
education, however, government aid put it ahead
of other parts of the county, nursery classes being
opened in primary schools under the government's urban aid programme in the early 1970s. (fn. 59)
Malinslee Church of England School opened in
1832 as a day school for the Malinslee area. Pupils
paid 2d. weekly, remaining costs being met by the
Botfields. (fn. 60) In 1844 the school moved into buildings at Dawley Bank, converted from cottages. R.
H. Cheney and Beriah Botfield, owner and lessee
of Malinslee respectively, were the managers in
1855, when the school contained 80 boys and 50
girls. (fn. 61) The school was known as Malinslee
National School from c. 1857. An infant department for 80 was opened in new buildings in 1855 (fn. 62)
and the school premises were further enlarged in
1885 and 1895. (fn. 63) The school established at
Malinslee Institute in 1895 became a second
infant department. In 1906 there were places for
204 older children and 120 infants at Dawley
Bank and 94 infants at the Institute. The school
was closed in 1950 when juniors were transferred
to Langley County School and children over 13 to
Pool Hill School. (fn. 64)
Dawley Church of England (Aided) School,
united to the National Society, was opened in
1841 in new premises near the parsonage at
Brandlee, on land given by R. A. Slaney. (fn. 65) In
1863 there were 59 boys and 56 girls, paying from
1d. to 4d. weekly according to their parents'
means; deficiencies in the school's finance were
made up by Beriah Botfield. (fn. 66) The buildings were
enlarged in 1892 (fn. 67) and 1899, (fn. 68) and by 1903-4
average attendance was 174 in the mixed and 118
in the infant departments. (fn. 69) The school became
Aided in 1952 (fn. 70) and from 1956 it became a
contributory primary school to the newly opened
Dawley Modern School. A nursery class was
added in 1974, and the school contained 166
pupils in 1980. (fn. 71)
Captain Webb County School, formerly Pool
Hill School, originated in a British boys' school
opened by the Coalbrookdale Co. in a room over
the stables at Horsehay Farm in 1843. The school
moved to Pool Hill c. 1846 and a girls' department
opened in 1849. The new schoolrooms, put up
1845-7, were heated by under-floor hot water
pipes. The schools were financed primarily by
funds for medical and educational purposes contributed by the company's employees. Their child
ren were educated free; others paid school pence
of 3d. or 6d. weekly. In 1855 there were 134 boys
and 136 girls, and only 7 children paid school
pence. (fn. 72) Because of the trade depression of the
mid 1880s the company discontinued its support
of the schools and management passed to the
school board in 1887. The board formed one
mixed department but continued the separate
infant department. (fn. 73) Although there was accommodation for 725 pupils in 1906, average attendance in 1903-4 was only 297 in the mixed and
infant departments. (fn. 74) Its ample space and central
position led to its choice as a secondary school
after the Second World War. In 1955 it was an
all-age school receiving senior pupils from 5 other
primary schools. (fn. 75) After the construction of the
secondary modern school nearby the following
year, Pool Hill School became a primary school.
In 1966 it became a junior school when an infant
school was opened in adjacent new buildings; a
nursery class was added to the infant school in
1971. (fn. 76) The junior school was rebuilt after the
original buildings were destroyed by fire in 1977
and the two schools were united in 1980 to form a
primary school, renamed the Captain Webb
County School. (fn. 77) It had 481 pupils that year. (fn. 78)
Hinkshay Mission School for infants was
opened in 1873, with a National Society grant, at
the Church of England mission chapel at Hinkshay. The school struggled on, short of funds,
until at least 1876 (fn. 79) and probably closed when
Langley Board School opened nearby in 1878.
Langley County Junior (formerly Board)
School was opened by the school board in 1878 in
new buildings on the edge of a spoil mound south
of Langleyfield colliery. Average attendance in
the first term was 81 boys, 76 girls, and 80
infants. (fn. 80) After Dawley Modern School opened in
1956, Langley became a contributory junior
school. In 1976 it moved from the original premises to new buildings in Spout Lane, next to St.
Leonard's infant school. (fn. 81) There were 398 pupils
at Langley New School in 1980. (fn. 82)
Malinslee Institute National Infants' School
originated in 1898 as a second infant department
of Malinslee National School. It was founded to
serve children in the Old Park area and was
housed in buildings put up in 1859 and previously
used as a mechanics' institute. (fn. 83) The school owed
its existence to Edward Parry, vicar of Malinslee,
who met, and overcame, determined opposition
from nonconformist school board members. (fn. 84) He
bought the building himself in 1897 and vested it
in the Lichfield Diocesan Trust in 1913. (fn. 85) In
1920, after the addition of a new classroom, the
school could accommodate 113 children. (fn. 86) It
closed in 1956 when its pupils were transferred to
St. Leonard's County Infants' School. (fn. 87)
St. Leonard's County Infants' School opened
in 1951 on the edge of new housing estates around
St. Leonard's church. (fn. 88) A nursery class was added
in 1971, and in 1980 the school contained 234
pupils. (fn. 89)
Dawley Modern School was opened at Pool Hill
in 1956 to take children over 11 from four contributory primary schools. (fn. 90) There were c. 500
pupils on the roll until 1965 when comprehensive
secondary education was introduced and the
school was renamed the Phoenix School. (fn. 91) The
number of pupils had risen to 1,159 by 1980. (fn. 92)
Two 'special' schools were opened: Southall (in
Rowan Avenue) in 1973 and Hinkshay (in the
former Langley school building) in 1976. (fn. 93)
The Ladygrove (formerly North West Dawley)
County School was opened in 1979, and Malinslee
County Primary School in 1980, (fn. 94) as primary
schools serving the new housing estates in Dawley
Bank and Malinslee; they had 158 and 175 pupils
respectively in 1980. (fn. 95) Another new estate was
served by Hollinswood County First School,
opened 1976, and Hollinswood County Middle
School, opened 1980; in 1980 they had 442 and
191 pupils respectively. (fn. 96)