Threatened Closures of Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount Schools in 1911

Essex County Chronicle 20 October, 1911

EDUCATIONAL EXTRAVAGANCE
SHOULD PROTEST MEETING BE HELD?

At the meeting of the Ongar Rural Council on Tuesday, Capt. Wellesley G. Piggott referred to an inquiry held by a deputation from the Essex Education Committee at Theydon Mount Schoolroom, which school was considered by the County Committee to be structurally inadequate. The view was not shared by the people of the district, parents as well as ratepayers, and Mr Prance and his friends had fought well. He thought it would be a good idea to have a meeting of protest for the whole district against the spirit of extravagance in education which prevailed. He could see that by the way they had fought at Stapleford Tawney, where the ratepayers turned up splendidly, and they defeated the extravagant people.

The Rev. L. N. Prance: Unfortunately they are judge and jury too.
Mr. R. Waltham: The parents will be quite as strongly with you as the larger ratepayers.
Capt. Piggott: They cannot build a new school there without holding a public inquiry at which anybody can attend and protest. It is the County Education Committee that I blame. I do not include Mr. Atkins, but otherwise I believe they are far worse offenders that the Board of Education – they are far more extravagant.

Several members expressed agreement with the idea of holding a meeting of protest for the whole district.

THEYDON MOUNT SCHOOL
THREATENED

The inquiry to which Capt. Piggott referred was held at Theydon Mount Schools. The members of the special committee of the County Education Committee present were Mr. E. N. Buxton, chairman, Mr. W. S. Chisenhale Marsh, and Mr. J.H. Burrows. There was a large attendance, among those present being the Rev. L. N. Prance, chairman of the managers; Sir William Bowyer-Smyth, Sir Drummond Smith, Capt. Wellesley G. Piggott, J.P., Mr. T. Atkins, C.C., Mr. C. Hunter, Dr. Gidley Moore, Mr. Jacob Miller, Mr. John Miller, Mr. A. Richardson, Mr. Page and Mr Laws.

The inquiry was held with a view to hearing local views as to the decision of the County Education Committee that the structure of the school was inadequate.

Mr. Buxton said the demands of the Board of Education were not very low, and they would not regard Theydon Mount School as one to be maintained indefinitely. He, with Canon Tancock, had visited the school, and came to the conclusion that it was hopelessly out of date, and that it was not worth while spending money upon it. There was a comparatively small number on the books, and the county could not be expected to maintain the small school with the building past redemption. The objection was that the school was built low, appearing to be an adapted house; it was not well lighted and ventilated, and was unlikely to be permanently recognised by the Board of Education, and if brought up to such a standard it would be at the risk of those who spent money on it/

The Rev. L.N. Prance said it was a small parish of 150, and the average attendance at the school for the last years was 42. It was a small country school and very well attended, because it was placed in the very best position. He read the report of H.M. Inspector on a visit, referring to the careful teaching and excellent behaviour, and said they tried to give the best possible education. The work of the girls was so successful that their scholars took no fewer than eight prized at the Ongar Agricultural Show for needlework. With regard to the health of the school, when the schools around were closed their school was open. The structure was sufficient for the purpose to which it had been put, and it had worked admirably in giving the education they required.

Mr. Buxton: Whatever good it has done in the past it does not come up to the modern standard.

Mr. Prance said there were six windows and it was well ventilated, being capable of accommodating 52 children. The report stated that the height was only 9ft., but it was more, and in some parts 13 1/8ft. The average height was 11ft. It seemed hard for the committee to complain that the offices were not up-to-date when the County Architect himself drew up the plans in 1904. It was not possible to have the same arrangements in a small school as in a large one, but the Inspector said some of the best teaching took place in small schools.

Mr. Chisenhall Marsh: We all know you have a very good teacher here.

Mr. Prance said the children received a thoroughly good education, and he submitted that the school was perfectly sufficient for the needs of the parish. The managers had done their best, and were satisfied by regular visiting that the school was well suited to the requirements.

Mr. Atkins referred to a visit to the school in July, when there were 40 children present, and they found the rook well ventilated. He suggested that the cost per head was not £4 to £5 as stated by the county, but £3.8s.

Mr. Nicholas (clerk to the Committee) said the corrected cost per child was £3.13s.9d.

Mr. Atkins said on behalf of the children he made an urgent appeal to the Committee to use their influence with the Board of Education that the school, with certain improvements, might remain, and on behalf of the agricultural population he asked that they should not be put to extra expense, as the increase in rates must react on labour. He hoped they would do their best to preserve the Theydon Mount and Stapleford Tawney Schools.

Mr. Buxton said they had satisfied themselves that the school not be made satisfactory structurally, and in the best interests of the parish as new school should be built.

Capt. Wellesley Piggott: If you have already formed that opinion, isn’t this inquiry superfluous? It is prejudged before the inquiry.

Mr. Buxton: It is for the purpose of hearing what anybody may say to the contrary. If you wish to carry it further, when we give notice of our intention to build a school, you will have the opportunity of challenging then.

Mr. Chisenhale Marsh: Do you think it satisfactory to have the room 9ft. high?

Mr. Atkins: If it is not unhealthy for the children. My room is 7ft.6in. [Laughter]

Mr. Chisenhale Marsh: We are not responsible for you. [Laughter]

Mr Laws said he had had two children at the school for the past seven years, and was perfectly satisfied with the way they had been treated. They had had excellent health all the time, and their education compared well with that of other children.
Mr. Prance: I think all the parents say the same.

Sir W. Bowyer Smyth said they were all very much against the change, and the school had done very well in the past. Two small schools were better than one, because when one closed on account of illness, the other could remain open.

Mr. Hunter said that, as the largest ratepayer, he would look much more favourably on reasonable alteration than a magnificent school built at public charge, which would be very disastrous to a poor rural district, where it was a struggle for many to make ends meet.

Mr. Chisenhale Marsh thought the cost of alterations would not be under £312.

Sir Drummond Smith said he considered their school good enough, wholesome, clean and healthy. Prices were rising, and economy should be considered. He understood that they had ordered a large number of schools to be closed in the county. This was not economy, but an attempt to do away with small schools and Church Schools. It would be a monument of extravagance, and in his opinion, it was all nonsense. The Managers, who devoted their time to the work, had not been considered.

The inquiry then closed.

*********

Essex County Chronicle 3 November 1911.

Petition to County Council

The following petition has been sent to the Essex County Council from the parish of Stapleford Tawney in the matter of the school:-

To the Chairman and Members of the County Council of Essex
The petition of Stapleford Tawney in the matter of its school.

We understand that a proposal has been made to close the school in this parish. To this we most strongly object. We built the school in 1873 at the request of the Government, and have recently added a classroom, all at our own expense. The school is in thorough good order, well lighted, warmed and ventilated, and in the best position for the children of the parishioners. In July, as frequently before, it has the best attendance of the 29 schools in the Ongar district, 98.5 per cent. The Government Inspector at his visit in October said to the correspondent, ‘Your school is in very good order, and the teaching and discipline leave nothing to be desired. I shall not report on the school as I have nothing to suggest for its improvement.’ The children took 3 prizes for needlework at the Ongar Agricultural Show. The health of the children is very good. Neither this school, nor Theydon Mount has ever been closed by order of the doctor. We have an able, college trained mistress, and are well satisfied with the progress and behaviour of the children.

Stapleford Abbotts, the nearest school is 2½ miles from here. To send the children there would involve 5 miles walk per day, i.e.210 days(the year, 1,959 miles extra) – too much for the little children, who would not attend regularly as they do now. There are 28 children on the books. Last year the average attendance sank to 19, but in the 5 previous years it was 29. In calculating the expense to the ratepayers, you must take account of the £20 extra grant to this, as a small school which is not given to the larger schools reducing the expense last year by about £1 per head. In the past 19 years our Log Book shows and average of 28 children receiving instruction in this school in the course of each year.

Theydon Mount school is 3 miles from here and serves well for its immediate neighbourhood; the roads thereto each way go round the verge of the parishes, and the inhabitants of both parishes agree that it is fully necessary for each to have its own school. We have been lately paying in education rates more than double what the rates have expended on the schools.

We protest that to close the school would be unjust to the ratepayers as making them pay for schools in other parishes and depriving them of their own; and cruel to the children in adding to many 1,000 miles extra walking per annum, and exceedingly disastrous to their education, as they could not attend so regularly as they do now. We request you to continue the support of our schools as heretofore.

Oct.25, 1911.

This petition is signed by Sir Drummond Cunliffe Smith, Bart., Sir Wm. Bowyer Smyth, Bart, Mr. C.E. Hunter, the Rev. L.N. Prance, Mr. Jas Wither, Mrs Jas. Miller, Mr R.P.Scott, Mr. H.O. Blott, Mr Jacob Miller, Mr. A. Green, Mr. Pittam and upwards of 40 others.

******

The Essex Newsman, 1st April, 1939

Essex Education Committee Meeting 1939.

There are now fifteen pupils at Stapleford Tawney and twelve at Theydon Mount, and consideration had been given to the question of the future of these two small Church of England Schools. The Managers were anxious that both schools should be retained, but the Chelmsford Diocesan Committee stated that, with reluctance they were prepared to agree to the amalgamation. On a report from the County Architect in regard to the condition of the two schools the Elementary Education Committee were of the opinion that Theydon Mount should be the one to continue. There were two rooms of 450 and 360 square feet respectively at this school. They therefore recommended that Stapleford Tawney school be closed, and that the pupils be conveyed to Theydon Mount School. Agreed.

Theydon Mount School: The average attendance was 37 in 1900, 45 in 1910, 36 in 1929, and only 24 in 1938. In 1939 it was reorganized for mixed juniors and infants and in 1942 it was closed because of the insufficient number of pupils.