Schools and Education

The earliest known reference to a school in Eaton is in 1777 from a visit of Archdeacon Bickham who ordered that the school should no longer be held in the church. This practice was not uncommon in the eighteenth century and many of the nearby parish churches were also reprimanded for the same reason

Wealthy families sent their children to private school or employed a governess or tutor but this was beyond the reach of ordinary families. In some country families children’s education was solely the responsibility of parents and so levels of education were passed down through families. Children of illiterate parents would have struggled to learn to read. The educated vicars, ministers and church people could offer the time, money, accommodation and social concern for teaching the poor to read and write. This started through Sunday Schools and then weekday schools.

Eaton’s school appears to have been established in the early 19th century with some sources suggesting a schoolroom was erected on land belonging to the Duke of Rutland in 1818 and there are records showing s school master in 1841. A village school was certainly established in 1855. The church appears to have funded the land and building but the costs of running the school were funded through subscriptions. As a consequence attendance could be poor as families could not afford to send their children to school and often the income bought in by working children was a necessity for family survival.

In 1861 Thomas Hedge was schoolmaster and in 1863 Emily Penn was school mistress. In 1861 there was also a Ladies School, presumably for the daughters of wealthier families which was run by Mary Rogers as schoolmistress. The 1861 census shows that Mary Rodgers was the wife of Thomas Rodgers a key landowner and grazier in the village, and the mother of 4 boys. Mary died in 1862 at the age of 58

Forster’s Education Act of 1870 meant a step change by creating a framework for public education in England. It established local "school boards" to build and manage schools in areas where there was a need for education and for the first time, ensured that a school was accessible to every child age 5 - 12. ,It didn't however make education entirely free or compulsory for all age groups immediately. The increase in demand led to the rebuilding of the school on Church Lane in 1874, which could now accommodate 80 children. The Elementary Education Act of 1891 abolished school fees for elementary education in England and Wales, making it free for the first time by providing a government "fee grant" of ten shillings per child to schools

Despite the availability of free elementary schooling the upper classes continued to educate their children privately. In 1891 the Paynter household, living at The Grange, employed two governesses for the education of the three children aged 10, 9 and 6.

School Life

Although children were legally bound to attend school absences were frequent. In 1878 Eaton School had about 70 on the roll but daily attendance averaged fifty. The schools log book records that absences were often due to illness and work that needed doing in farms and gardens.

The school day was from 9 to 4 with an hour or so allowed for lunch and play. Before the advent of school dinners in 1943, children either went home for lunch or brought sandwiches. The children studied the three Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition the girls were taught needlework and home management and the boys learnt practical skills such as woodwork and gardening. The schools standards were regularly checked and an inspector in 1891 commented ‘The children are too much disposed to talk, but otherwise orderly. The elementary work is fairly well done on the whole. The Grammar is very weak but the needlework good’

Initially Mr Redfern was appointed on a temporary basis with the intention of an Eaton man, Mr Coulson, taking his place when he had finished his studies. Mr Redfern boarded with Mr Cheshire in the village. Mr Cheshire, a member of the school council committee, was not happy with the intended departure of Mr Redfern and subsequently refused to pay his school rate, a sum of rates paid by all villagers that went towards the school costs. This refusal and apparent standoff continued for at least 8 years with exchanges of letters to the editor of the local paper over a period of weeks between Mr Cheshire and Tom Beastall, responsible for collecting the rates. Mr Johnson as school master seems to have been left to manage the fall out well into 1890! (Mr Coulson did take up the role of schoolmaster but transferred to being clerk of the parish council after two years.)

In 1905 the school was enlarged again to hold 99 children and a heating system with stoves and water pipes was installed. This extra capacity supported the extension of state education until age 14 in 1918 with this stage of secondary education being managed in the same school. It was not until the 1930s that children left Eaton aged eleven to continue their schooling in Melton Mowbray. Those who wished to could take an examination to win a scholarship to Melton Grammar School. In the 1960s the system changed again and children went from the age of 10 to Belvoir High School in Bottesford until the age of 14, finishing their education at King Edward VII Upper School, Melton Mowbray.

The Second World War had little effect on the school except for the arrival of two teachers and a group of evacuees from Sheffield. The evacuees were found homes in the village but stayed for a relatively short time. Some evacuees became good friends with their surrogate parents. One of the teachers from Sheffield, Miss Archer (later Mrs Poole) became the Head of Eaton in 1942 after teaching for a while at Croxton.

Reductions in populations in the 1950s meant that many village schools could not survive. After closing, the children from both Eastwell and Branston transferred to Eaton. Miss Jessop, Head of Eaton 1945-62 remembered the day the children transferred from Eastwell. No warning had been given to her or the school governors and at 9 o’clock on a Monday morning she went out to blow the whistle and was surprised to find an extra group of very apprehensive children.

Increasingly the school found it hard to cope with the financial pressures caused by dwindling pupil numbers. Sadly within a few years of celebrating the centenary, the village school was closed and the children transferred to Waltham School. The school building, owned by the church, was sold and converted into a house.

School Masters and Mistresses

Teachers prior to the formation of the National School in 1874:

1841 Nathaneal Kemm (who was also registrar and overseer)

1861 Thomas Hedge (from Commercial Directory)

1861 Mary Rodgers (Ladies School)

Headteachers 1874 to 1974:

Mr Robert Tillbrook Feb 24th 1874

Mr T Struddle Nov 6th 1878

Mr C Kirk Nov 3rd 1879

Mr John Redfearn Feb 28th 1881

Mr John William Coulson Jan 2nd 1882

Mr Thomas Nathaniel Johnson May 25th 1885

Mr W A Raven Nov 1st 1923

Mr C T Rice April 1st 1927

Mr P V Foot Sept 3rd 1928

Miss A M Sempers Mar 1st 1937

Miss W Archer (Mrs Poole) May 1st 1942

Miss A M Jessop July 2nd 1945

Miss H Hall Sept 11th 1962

The Day Eastwell School Came

Miss A.M. Jessop, Headmistress

I shall never forget the day when the children from Eastwell School joined us. Neither the managers nor I had any idea that this was likely to happen so that it came as a complete surprise when at 9 o'clock one Monday morning I went out to blow th whistle. A line of silent apprehensive children stood by the door. 'Who are you?' I asked in astonishment. 'Eastwell School' replied Donald Shields, who was the oldest child and thus the spokesman.

They can just like that, with no warning and no equipment, unless the enamel mug Donald had slung round his neck can be called equipment. Why he expected to need it, I never knew. Anyway I got the children indoors, when I found that there were more children than seats. I sent a message to the vicarage to tell Rev A. E. Bass what had happened. He came immediately and when he found some children seated three in a desk, some on chairs and some infants in the floor, he went to Eastwell and found someone able to bring some extra desks from the school there. It turned out later that he had no right to remove school furniture without permission from Leicester, but I was very grateful to him for thus cutting through red tape. Other managers who were very kind and helpful were Mr Roger Darby and Mr M Jackson. I am sorry that they and the Rev A E Bass are no longer alive to hear that I remember them with gratitude.

Another difficulty was the dinner. When I rang up the canteen, I was told that the dinner had already been sent and nothing could be done that day. To make matters worse, the driver who bought the meal let a container fall and spill all the custard on the road. This was fortunate for the local dogs but not the children. Nobody complained of too large a helping that day and Im sure both the Eaton and Eastwell children went home very angry. So far as I remember food was still rationed. I think we bought some bread but I can't remember that we were able to but anything else to eke out the meal.

During the dinner hour the Eastwell managers came. We had all had plenty to try our tempers and it is a wonder that a first class rumpus did not develop. However, it did not, for which I am very thankful, especially when I think of the happy relationship that later came to exist between the two villages.

By the next day I had got things fairly well straightened out, but it took all day Monday and no-one learned anything that day. I remember it as one of the hardest days of my life as a teacher.

Note: Eastwell School closed about 1950. Later, in 1960 Branston School closed but this time `miss Hall, the Headteacher, came wilth the children and later became Headmistress at Eaton

From Pupil to Headmistress
Miss H Hall

My first association with Eaton School began when I was eleven years old. At that time children from Branston were transferred to Eaton when they became eleven, in the days before the Secondary Modern Schools were built in Melton. However, my time at Eaton was very short, just one term - I left to go to Melton Grammar School.

I still remember the summer term very well. No transport was provided in those days. we walked to school, often along the footpath across the Baulk Field. On some occasions we even walked back home for dinner, but usually we brought sandwiches and bottle which we filled with water at Undle Spout and mixed in some kali (lemon powder) for our mid-day drink - no meals or milk provided them. Our sandwiches were eaten in the Infant Room - state din the back desk - straight from our packages. No Tables, cloths or plates provided. Lunch finished, we were free to get off into the village, often up Cats Hill.

Fridays were great days. We always had a penny and after eating our sandwiches we hurried along to Mt Jackson's bakehouse (The Old Post Office) and each bought a big bun, freshly baked that morning. How good that were; we usually finished up eating them around the anvil in the blacksmiths shop (now the Old Forge) and watched Mr Parr make the sparks fly from the horse-shoe he was making. Then back to school for lessons.