Reference
SDEastcotts
Title
Records of Eastcotts School. [i.e. Eastcotts Board School (1874), Eastcotts Council School 1903, Eastcotts County Primary (1946) Cotton End County Primary (c1957), Cotton End Lower (c1970), Cotton End Primary School (2013)]
Date free text
1874 onwards
Admin/biog history
On 14th November 1873 the Eastcotts (Cotton End) School Board was formed. Not long afterwards Cotton End had its school, the logbook [SDEastcotts1] stating that it opened on 26th January 1874.
At the first full meeting of the School Board on 4th December 1873 it was resolved that “a temporary School be provided until the new School be erected”. It was proposed to enter into negotiations with the Trustees Cotton End Baptist school room adjacent to the Baptist Meeting for temporary use of it. The trustees agreed and rent was £2 per annum. Joseph Leaver was appointed schoolmaster on 8th January 1874 at a salary of £60 per annum plus lodging expenses. On 22nd January it was agreed that Leaver be empowered to appoint three monitors at sixpence per week each and a lad to sweep the school at three pence per week. School fees were to be a penny per week for the children of labourers and children to be at least five years old before admission.
The School Inspectors report for 1874 was very promising: “This is a new school in a village where there has hitherto been no education. The children as might be expected are very backward for their years, but the general order of the school, and the careful character of the instruction now given appears to promise good success” [SDEastcotts 1]
At a meeting on 18th December a letter from Samuel Charles Whitbread was read offering a site for the new school as a gift. On 20th May 1874 Thomas Jobson Jackson of Bedford was appointed as architect. The plans were approved by the Education Department in London in September 1874. The lowest tender was from James Potter of 24 Brereton Road, Bedford at £989/10/- and that was accepted.
As the new school was being built it was resolved on 20th September 1875 to furnish it “with Laurie’s patent desks and forms – on condition that the cost shall not exceed that of the ordinary ones by more than five pounds” It was also agreed: “That a Lean-to shed for the Schoolmaster’s Wood and Coal be built behind the Yard Offices – at a cost not exceeding five pounds”. The school opened on 11th October 1875, the log book [SDEastcotts1] reading: “This morning without “flourish of trumpet” or “beat of drum” we entered the new School”. On 15th November forty new scholars were admitted to the new Eastcotts Board School, most from Harrowden who had previously been attending Cardington School.
Education Act 1902, coming into effect in 1903, disbanded the School Boards and gave day to day running of education to newly formed Local Education Authorities, usually the county council, as in Bedfordshire. The old Board Schools thus became Council Schools.
The Second World War brought many changes to the school. On 11th September 1939 the logbook noted: “School reopened today. Owing to the outbreak of war no transport is available for the senior children to be taken to their Senior School. They are now attending this school which has become a full range school. No supply teacher has been sent this week and about 80 children have been taught by one person. It has been impossible to work to a timetable”. (SDEastcotts4) The logbooks also record the changes to the school to protect it and make safe air-raid shelters for the children. They show the disruption to lessons through practices and genuine warnings.
The Education Act 1944 established the principle of County Primary Schools for children up to the age of 11. Eastcotts became a County Primary School and changed its name to Cotton End County Primary School when another school in the parish was opened at Shortstown in 1957.
When Bedfordshire County Council introduced a three tier comprehensive system of Lower Schools (children aged 4 to 9), Middle Schools (9 to 13) and Upper Schools from 13 onwards, Cotton End became a Lower School. The Local Education Authority became the unitary council of Bedford Borough on the abolition of the county council on 1st April 2009.
Cotton End Lower School converted to Cotton End Primary School in September 2013
Reference
Level of description
fonds