Itchingfield: Education

A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1986.

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'Itchingfield: Education', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham, (London, 1986) pp. 17-18. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt2/pp17-18 [accessed 24 April 2024]

EDUCATION.

There was no teacher in 1584, (fn. 1) but a schoolmaster was licensed in 1587. (fn. 2) Thereafter no schoolmaster is known until the 19th century. (fn. 3) Elizabeth Marlott by will proved 1817 left £400 as an endowment for a schoolmistress to instruct poor children to read, work, and knit at a fee of 4d. a week, and for books. In 1818 a school taught 22 children, of whom about half were on the foundation. (fn. 4) In 1847 there were 10 boys and 18 girls, and a second teacher, but still no schoolhouse; 19 boys and 10 girls also attended on Sundays. (fn. 5) A schoolroom was built c. 1854 when the school was united with the National Society. About 40 attended in 1865. The school was enlarged in 1871 (fn. 6) and 1886. (fn. 7)

A school board was set up in 1887, despite the rector's opposition, (fn. 8) and the National school was transferred to the board in 1888, with an average attendance of 91 in 1893. (fn. 9) A Scheme of 1897 diverted the income of Marlott's charity to the provision of prizes to elementary school children. (fn. 10) The school was again enlarged in 1907. (fn. 11) Attendance at the school fluctuated, reaching a maximum of 125 in 1914 (fn. 12) but falling to 70 in 1938. (fn. 13) In 1973 it was 72; in addition 52 infants attended a new school at Barns Green, built c. 1969. (fn. 14)

Wedges Farm and Coopers Camp schools were established as open-air schools by West Sussex and Hampshire county councils in 1946 and closed in 1956 and 1957 respectively. (fn. 15)

Footnotes

  • 1. W.S.R.O., Ep. I/22/1 (1584).
  • 2. Ibid. S.T.C. III/B, f. 35; S.N.Q. xiv. 271.
  • 3. W.S.R.O., Ep. I/22/1 (1636, 1640, 1662, 1762).
  • 4. 2nd Rep. Com. Char. 171; Educ. of Poor Digest, 962.
  • 5. Nat. Soc. Inquiry, 1846-7, Suss. 8-9.
  • 6. P.R.O., ED 7/123; W.S.R.O., Ep. I/22A/2 (1865); S.A.C. xl. 92.
  • 7. Above, church.
  • 8. List of Sch. Boards, 1902 [Cd. 1038], p. 86, H.C. (1902), lxxix; W.S.R.O., Add. MS. 6220, note, n.d., signed John Moses.
  • 9. Return of Schs. 1893 [C. 5729], p. 610, H.C. (1894), lxv; W.S.R.O., Add. MS. 6220, agreement 24 Jan. 1888.
  • 10. Char. Com. Scheme, 31 Aug. 1897; Char. Com. reg. 306407; Char. Com. files.
  • 11. W.S.R.O., Add. MS. 11092.
  • 12. Bd. of Educ., List 21, 1914 (H.M.S.O.), 523.
  • 13. Ibid. 1938, 402.
  • 14. Educ. in W. Suss. 1964-9 (W. Suss. C.C.), 117; W. Suss. Gaz. 1 Nov. 1973, p. 13.
  • 15. Educ. in W. Suss. 1954-9, 29-30; W.S.R.O., E 113A-B.
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