National School
1896-1898
1896
Jan 3rd Commenced on Monday with a very few scholars owing to the unsettled weather. Holiday Wednesday & Thursday, poor attendance Friday. Vicar called on Monday.
10th Better attendance this week. On Wednesday evening a gathering of the choir and friends was held in the schoolroom and on Thursday the school children and old people were provided with a good tea. There was no school after Wednesday.
17th Good attendance this week. Paid special attention in drawing and geography. Vicar called Monday.
24th Good attendance. The work progresses favourably. The WCs have been altered and greatly improved . Vicar called several times.
31st Good attendance. Worked hard at geography. Sanitary Inspector called and inspected the alterations mentioned above. He said the work was done to his satisfaction. The vicar called on Monday.
Feb 7th Good attendance all the week. Work continues to improve. The arith of St V rather backward. Vicar called on Monday.
14th Good attendance. Examined the boys in drawing on Tuesday and got good results. Attendance Officer called on Wednesday. Vicar called on Monday.
21st Good attendance this week. The Carltons and the Kays resumed their studies after a long absence through illness. Tuesday being Shrove Tuesday I gave the children a half day holiday. Miss Scott absent Tuesday & Wednesday not being well.
28th Drawing exam held next Wednesday. I examined the boys in drawing on Tuesday and obtained some very good results. The first division answered well all the questions I put to them. The vicar called on Monday & Friday. Received the forms appertaining to the annual government examination which takes place in April.
March 4th Drawing examination held today. 23 boys were presented. Number on schedule was 25, but two were unable to come owing to illness.
6th Good attendance, examined in arith on Thursday, good results in all but St V
13th New scholar admitted today. Worked hard at revision of geography, arith & all the subjects taught. Vicar called on Monday.
20th Revised the years work. Very fair attendance, vicar called on Monday.
27th Good attendance this week. Government Inspector on the 17th April (received notice on Wednesday). Vicar visited several times. Admitted Polly Brough, a new scholar.
April 2nd No school on Monday owing to the school being used as a polling station for the Parish Council Election. No school on Tuesday afternoon, owing to the great luck of the children, being a sale. Closed on Thursday night for the week tomorrow being Good Friday.
10th Worked hard at revision all week. Good attendance. Mr Jemison called on Monday & Wednesday.
17th Revision all week. Admitted three new scholars. W Thackray, sub-inspector examined the school on Friday.
27th Received notice of the Diocesan Inspection, which is fixed for 11th May.
May 1st Put all the scholars a standard higher except Ernest Wilson & Tom Atkinson. Started to teach analysis to the upper standards. Closed the school Thursday afternoon owing to a confirmation at Sutton.
6th Received the Government report this morning also the drawing syllabus -
Gov Report:
‘ The school has suffered owing to a change in teachers arith in the 3rd standard is good, but most other respects the elementary work is capable of very considerable improvement. The higher grants under article 101(6) of the code are recommended with hesitation. Two class subject should not be attempted this coming year. Another set of reading books is required for the 1st standard’.
Master Scott cert 3rd division.
Miss Scott sewing mistress.
WH Jemison 19th May 1896.
8th I intend on leaving out grammar this year, and devote the time for it on the timetable to geog or mental arith. Good attendance this week. Received five new scholars. Took Guy and Annie Kitson’s names off the register.
11th Scripture exam this afternoon. Rev Barry inspector.
15th Fair attendance, had a half holiday yesterday owing to the Sutton feast. Attendance Officer called on Tuesday. Took Lily Smith’s name off the register as she is not coming again.
19th Received the report on Religious Instruction.
‘ The third division, with one or two exceptions, were somewhat backward in answering & required to be drawn out more.
The second division knew their Old Testament subjects very well & considering its difficulty to them, answered creditably on the Acts.
The first is a good class; some useful instruction has been successfully given on the Prayed Book.
The repetition was accurate but at times there was a tendency to emphasize small words which it could be well to check.’
Signed Ernest Barry Diocesan Inspector.
May 22nd Closed for a fortnight (Whitsuntide) Vicar called on Tuesday & Thursday. Took W. Davill’s name off the register as he has been hired.
Whitsuntide Holidays
June 12th Opened on Monday morning with a good attendance which has been maintained throughout the week. Have chosen for poetry the following:
St III Wordsworth’s ‘ We are ??’
St IV & V Longfellow’s ‘Wreck of the Hesperus’
Vicar called on Monday.
19th Good attendance. Rapid progress has been made in Geography in the upper standards, but the lower classes get on slowly. Considerable progress in music & drill. Vicar & Rev Jackson of Easingwold called yesterday. Received notice of the Labour Certificate Exam, but had no candidate for it.
26th Good attendance. Vicar called Monday & Wednesday.
July 3rd Attendance fell off owing to haymaking & turnip singling. Sent Mary Grainger home on Thursday afternoon for disobedience. Map drawing has greatly improved lately. Vicar called on Monday.
10th Better attendance, but Upper boys still coming badly. Work went pretty much as usual.
17th Bad attendance of the Upper standard boys this week. Took Harold Denn’s name off the books as he has left the village. Received a new scholar Arthur Hardy by name, Also Florence & Rachel Leckenby & Reginald Bidcock who are on a visit to the village. Vicar called on Monday.
24th Good attendance this week. Have introduced dumb-bell exercises and the children like it well. Vicar called on Monday & Friday.
29th Good attendance. Taught the children to sing ‘ Life on the ocean wave’. An officer of the S.P.C.C. with Inspector of Police & a constable called on Monday & examined the Wilson Family with a view to prosecuting the parents for neglect of their children. Vicar called on Monday.
Aug 7th On Wednesday last we took the children to Scarborough. The two Leckenbys and R Bidcock have returned home & I have taken their names from the books. Dr Hicks - Medical Officer of Health for the district called on Wednesday & inspected the back premises. Vicar called Monday & Wednesday. Closed for the Harvest Holidays.
Harvest Holidays
Sept 11th Commenced on Monday morning with a moderate attendance. Worked consistently throughout the week.
18th Better Attendance this week. Marked improvement in spelling & dictation. Admitted a girl who is on a visit to Stillington.
25th Fairly good attendance, paid a little attention to music this week with a view to holding a children’s concert in November. Vicar called on Monday.
Oct 2nd Bad attendance of boys, many of whom are engaged to potato picking. There was no school on Wednesday, as I had important business in Easingwold. Vicar called Monday & Thursday.
9th Boys still employed in fields otherwise a good attendance. Re-admitted Walter Davill.
16th Bad attendance owing to potato gathering. Vicar called Monday & Thursday. Paid much attention to practice & bills of parcels in St V & Reduction in St IV. Find St II rather backward in spelling.
23rd Improved attendance. Commenced simple interest with St IV. Received a new boy - R Gibson. Vicar called Monday & Thursday. Spent a little extra time with singing.
30th Excellent attendance, great improvement in arith in the upper classes. Received a new scholar Ethel Lowther, an infant. Spent a little time on singing. Vicar called on Monday.
Nov 6th Good attendance. Spent a little extra time on singing. Worked consistently all the week, Attendance Officer called on Wednesday. Miss Scott absent today.
13th Bad attendance of girls. Devoted a little extra time to singing. Closed school 3:30 pm this afternoon. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
20th Very good attendance. Received four new scholars named Kay. Devoted a little extra time to singing. Vicar called on Monday.
27th Started at 1 this afternoon & intend leaving at 3:30 this afternoon so that the children from a distance may get home before dark. Intend doing this until the days are longer. T L Lowther*, a little boy on the books, died this week. Vicar called Monday. On Tuesday & Thursday evenings the children gave a concert in the schoolroom in aid of the school funds.
Archive note : * Thomas Low Lowther died aged 8
Dec 4th Fairly good attendance throughout the week. Examined all classes this week in arith & found St V very backward, but the other classes did fairly well. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
11th Better attendance. Worked consistently all the week. Vicar called Monday & Friday.
18th Good attendance. Considerable improvement in arith. St VII, have taken very well to agriculture, which I started with this week. Vicar called on Monday.
24th Broke up on Thursday for Christmas Holidays. Had a good attendance all the week. Vicar called Monday.
Christmas Holidays
1897
Jan 8th Commenced with an excellent attendance which was maintained throughout the week. Vicar called several times.
15th Attendance maintained its excellency. Closed Thur & Fri on account of the school treat. Vicar called Monday.
22nd Paid greater attention than usual to arith & poetry this week, good attendance. Vicar called Monday & two or three times afterwards.
Feb 5th Good attendance. Received notice of drawing exam, which will take place in March. Vicar called Mon, Wed & Fri.
12th Good attendance, worked hard at problems in arith. Vicar called Monday.
19th Good attendance, examined St VI in arith on Tues, & all worked creditable papers. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
26th Good attendance, no school Friday afternoon.
March 3rd Drawing Exam Hastings Hicks
5th Good attendance, no school on Shrove Tuesday. Vicar called Monday & Wednesday.
10th The papers relating to the government examination arrived today.
12th Excellent attendance, St V still backward in arith. Great progress made in neat writing. Vicar called Monday and Tuesday.
19th Attendance steady. Examined upper standards on Tuesday & lower standards Thursday. Vicar called Monday & Tuesday.
26th Closed 11am on Monday recommenced 2pm so as to allow the children to enjoy the meet of the foxhounds at Stillington. St V have improved in arith this week. Vicar called on Wed morning. Very good attendance.
April 2nd received notice of the exam (Gov) on Monday, vicar called on Wed. Capital attendance. Examined all classes on Wed. St I did badly in arith.
9th Good attendance. Revised geography, poetry, music & examined in everything with very good results. Vicar called on Monday, Thursday & Friday.
12th Good inspection by Mr Bell.
15th Closed for Easter Holidays.
27th Received drawing results today - ‘good’
30th Attendance only moderate owing to several of the bys being engaged in potato setting in the fields. Vicar called Monday & Tuesday.
Government Report
‘Needlework is satisfactory, & the arithmetic of the fourth & sixth standards are fair. With these exceptions attainments are poor. Order, too, is far from good. A general improvement will be expected at the next examination if a warning under Article 86 of the code is to be avoided’
The issue of Mr Scott’s certificate is deferred for better results.
Master J W Scott, Trained certificated 3rdDivision
Sewing mistress, Miss M Scott.
W H Jemison
May 4th Geography for IV, V, VI will be the ‘British Isles’ this years. No geography for III, II, I but object lessons will be taken as the class subject lessons.
Poetry - St I ‘The Woodmouse’ Mary Howitt
St II ‘ Lord Ullin’s Daughter’ Campbell
St III ‘ A Legend of Bregenz’ Adelaide Crocker
7th Poor attendance. Began compound addition with St III. St IV made good progress at fractions. Vicar called Mon, Wed, & Thur.
14th Improved attendance. Commenced percentages in St VII, but kept vulgar Fractions, Comp mult, simp long div, simp mult & addition in VI V IV III II & I, respectively. Reading shows signs of improvement. Closed 3pm this afternoon, commenced 1pm as I wanted to catch a train. Vicar called on Mon & Tues.
21st On Thurs we held the monthly exam. In St I & V the arith was poor, but good in the remaining classes. Reading throughout was good, as was dict & Comp, exception St III. Vicar called on Monday. Have not yet received the drawing grant.
28th Commenced vulgar fractions in St V. Comp long div in IV & comp addition in III. Thin school this week. Vicar called Monday & Thursday.
June 4th Moderate attendance. Worked regularly all week & found a marked improvement all round in arith. Vicar called on Monday & Tuesday.
Whitsun holidays.
18th Greatly increased attendance. Drawing grant arrived during the holidays (June 7th). Received two new scholars, vicar called on Monday.
25th Closed on Monday for the celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. No school for the remainder of the week.
July 2nd Opened with a good attendance, which was maintained throughout the week. Vicar called Monday & Thursday. Scripture exam fixed for July 15th.
9th Moderate attendance. Commenced decimals in St VI, Mult & Div of fraction in V, & reduction in IV. Vicar took scripture lessons in Div I & II on Wed & Thur.
July 15th - Examined the school in Religious Knowledge and am much pleased with the tone & answers of the children.
M E Stanbrough
16th Moderate attendance, boys still haymaking & turnip singling. Half holiday yesterday afternoon.
19th Scripture report
‘The school is well taught and grounded in Religious Knowledge. The children are bright and intelligent, & passed a very creditable exam. The tone & discipline of the school are well kept up & I was very pleased with my visit. The written abstracts from the catechism deserve commendation.’
M E Stanbrough, Assistant Diocesan Inspector.
28th Moderate attendance. Elder boys engaged in haymaking & turnip singling. Vicar visited Monday.
30th Attendance very much improved. Worked steadily throughout the week & found considerable improvement in reading had been made. Vicar called on Monday.
Aug 6th Good attendance. Half holiday on Wed on account of Farlington Sports. Vicar called on Monday.
13th Poor attendance. Vicar called on Monday & Wed. Closed for Harvest Holidays on Friday.
HARVEST HOLIDAYS
Sept 17th Opened on Monday with a very poor attendance, & it has not improved throughout the week. Vicar called Monday.
24th Attendance improved slightly. Paid great attention to spelling this week. Spent a little more time in singing in preparation for the children’s concert. Mr Jemison called on Monday.
Oct 1st Bad attendance chiefly owing to wet weather. Got well on with Geography & composition in the upper standards. Mr Jemison called Monday.
8th Very moderate attendance, owing to most of the first class boys being engaged in picking potatoes. Spent a little extra time in singing in preparation for concert. Vicar called Monday.
15th Very moderate attendance. Spent a little extra time on singing in prep for children’s concert. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
22nd Bad attendance. Composition in VII, VI & V greatly improved. Spent extra time on singing for concert. Vicar called Monday & Tuesday.
29th Moderate attendance. Arith much improved in upper standards. Vicar called on Monday & Friday. Spent a little extra time on singing.
Nov 5th Moderate attendance. Spent a little extra time singing for concert which takes place on Tuesday next. Vicar called on Wednesday.
8th Closed registers at 9am this morning omitted scripture and left at 11am.
11th Children’s concert on Tuesday evening no school on Wednesday.
12th Poor school this afternoon, but there has been good attendance all the rest of the week.
19th Fair attendance. School opened at 1pm & closes at 3pm & all lessons are half an hour earlier in the afternoon. This is to prevent children from a distance being compelled to walk home in the dark. Vicar called on Monday.
26th Repeated the concert on Thursday evening. No school Thursday & Friday. Vicar called Monday.
Dec 3rd Very poor attendance, especially among infants & St I. Worked consistently throughout the week. Received a new scholar. Vicar called Monday & Thursday.
10th Slightly increased attendance this week. Worked hard at arith in all standards. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday. Received a new scholar.
17th Greatly improved attendance. Worked hard in all subjects. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
24th Excellent attendance this week. Closed for the Christmas Holidays. Vicar called on Monday & Tuesday.
Xmas Holidays
1898
Jan 7th Good attendance this week. Closed on Monday afternoon to attend funeral of Mr T Wood*, an ex-manager of this school. Vicar called on Monday.
Archive note* Mr Thomas Wood, builder, died aged 86.
14th Attendance not quite as good as usual. Worked hard at mental arith in St III, IV, V, VI, & VII. Vicar called on Monday.
21st Closed Tuesday noon. Children were entertained & had teas on Wednesday. No School for the remainder of the week.
28th Three children withdrawn from the books this week, having gone to live in Huby. Worked hard at all subjects this week. Good attendance. Received notice of drawing exam. Vicar called on Monday.
Feb 4th Good attendance. Worked consistently at all school subjects. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
11th Fair average attendance. Examined boys in drawing on Wed with good results in all classes but St V. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
18th Capital attendance. Drew out a new timetable & found that it sails?? Much better than the old one. Vicar called on Monday.
21st The sum of £7 7s aid grant under the scheme of York Diocesan Association has been received for the purpose of meeting ordinary expenditure, and providing equipment for this school.
21st A communication from the Education department on the subject of the boys stone throwing was read by the vicar during the morning school.
22nd Half holiday (Shrove Tuesday)
25th Moderate attendance. Several children are ill with colds.
March 4th Examined in drawing on Tues with good results all round. Bad attendance. Vicar called on Monday. Received notice of drawing exam - fixed for Feb 15th
7th Received form 9, & several other forms appertaining to the Gov exam.
11th Good attendance. Examined all classes in arith with good results except St V. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
15th Drawing Exam - H E Hicks
18th Examined in arith with good results. Very good attendance. Vicar called on Monday & Tuesday.
25th Very good attendance. Received notice of Gov exam on Tuesday. It is fixed for Monday Apr 4th. Examined & recapitulated in all subjects. Vicar called on Mon, Tues & Fri.
31st Capital attendance. Recapped all this week. Vicar called Monday & Thurs.
April 4th Gov inspection by Mr Eley.
8th No school on Monday afternoon, good attendance, closed this afternoon for Easter Holidays.
22nd Commenced work on Monday. Advanced all scholars a standard higher. Geog for upper standards is Europe this year. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
29th Had a communication from Rev Barry suggesting a date for the scripture exam. Moderate attendance, made a considerable advance in subjects, & especially arith. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
May 6th Bad attendance. Gov report came this morning. Complained of attendance to Mr Dale who spoke severely to the offenders. Vicar called on Monday. Closed on Wed owing to a death in our family.
Gov Report 1898
Average attendance
Boys 27.6
Girls 20.3
Total 47.9, counting as 48
Grants
Prime Grant £12 6s
Discipline & organisation £1
Music £1
Geography £1
Sewing £1
Total Grant £38 4s
Final Fee £5 12s 6d
Total £43 16s 6d
Summary
‘There is a slight improvement in the general condition of the school. The Infants however are as backward and so many weak points in the instruction of the older children that a warning under art 86 of the code must be given next year unless substantial improvement can be shown. One or two more desks are required for the Infants, the out offices should be altered to satisfy the requirements (sch VII of the code) and if possible a cloak room should be built’
I am to direct special attention to H M Inspector’s remarks on the offices and cloak room. Plans of the alterations proposed should be submitted.
Master Thos W Scott, T cert 3rd Div
Sewing Mistress Mary E Scott
Monitress Lilian Wood.
Wm H Jemison
May 9th Received drawing report - Good
St I good
St II good
St III Fair in both subjects
St IV Fair in both subjects
St V Freehand Fair
Geometry Excellent
13th Better attendance. Made considerable progress in arith. Vicar called on Tuesday.
18th Scripture exam by Rev Barry. No school in the afternoon.
20th Moderate attendance. Worked hard at all subjects. Vicar called on Monday & Wed.
27th Improved attendance. Received Scripture report. Closed this afternoon for Whitsuntide.
Scripture Report
Comments
‘The answering in the lower half was confined to about half a dozen children, who knew most of what they had been taught, the interest of the other children seemed to be dormant. I would suggest that some texts or passages of Holy Scriptures be learnt.
The work in the upper part of the school is satisfactory. The answering of the regular children and the repetition were good.’
Signed Ernest Barry Diocesan Inspector
June 10th Improved attendance. Received two new scholars. Reading makes considerable progress in all standards. Vicar called on Monday.
17th Very good attendance. Vicar called Monday & Wednesday. Worked hard at all subjects.
21st Commenced school this afternoon at 1pm today and will leave at 3:30pm.
24th Capital attendance all the week. Worked hard at reading & spellings. Vicar called on Monday.
30th Rained hard this morning, so delayed playtime until 11:25 when it had cleared.
July 1st Capital attendance. The upper standards made excellent progress in composition, the essays on the ‘swallow’, ‘lark’ & ‘cuckoo’ being very good. The vicar called on Monday & Thursday. W Dale, att off, called on Thurs & I complained to him of the attendance of Tom, Arthur & Frank Atkinson.
8th Good attendance. Closed on Wednesday afternoon for Crayke Sports. Had a mapping competition for boys & an essay writing competition for girls in the sixth & seventh standards. Got some good work as a result.
15th Decrease in attendance chiefly owing to the upper standard boys engaged in haymaking. Vicar called on Monday.
22nd Large decrease in attendance owing to haymaking. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
17th Closed this afternoon for Farlington Sports.
29th Bad attendance. The older boys are engaged in the fields. E. Howard H M S visited the school on Monday to advise the managers on the alterations proposed in the gov report. He was met by the vicar.
Aug 5th On Wed took the school children from St II upwards to Scarborough. On Thursday all the children were entertained to a tea, after which to games & no school on Friday.
12th Vicar sent a present of a basket of fruit for the children yesterday. Fair attendance all the week, worked hard at spellings in all classes. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
15th Rev Jemison sent another present of fruit for the children.
17th Closed 3:30 this afternoon, commencing at 1 on account of Easingwold Flower Show.
19th Broke up for Harvest Holidays.
Sept 23rd Opened on Monday with a fair attendance of girls & infants but very few boys. Worked hard all week.
30th Attendance moderate. Worked hard at arith in the upper standards & spelling in lower standards. Vicar called on Monday.
Oct 7th Less attendance. Worked hard at Geog & Object Lessons. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
14th Bad attendance owing to potato gathering. Some new books & new black board arrived today. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
21st Attendance slightly better. Arith. Improved in upper standards. Vicar called on Wednesday.
28th Bad attendance. Worked hard at geog & in lower standards reading also at poetry & singing. Started St VI, V & VI on work with arith cards. Vicar called on Monday & Wednesday.
Nov 4th Bad attendance. Worked hard all the week. Upper standards & St III got on well with arith cards. Vicar called Monday.
11th Attendance bad. Potato gathering still keeps big boys & some girls away. Worked hard at arith & geog. Vicar called on Monday.
18th Greatly improved attendance. Examined St V & VI in arith today with good results. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
19th Two new infant desks arrived today.
25th We had a severe snowstorm on Wed & a great number of children were unable to come. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
Miss Scott has been ill all week & unable to attend.
28th Commence afternoon school at 1 pm this week & leave at 3:30pm so as to allow children from a distance to get home before it is too dark.
Dec 2nd Bad attendance: several children away from school through having bad colds. Vicar called on Monday.
1st Aid grant for apparatus repairs received £7=10=0
9th Greatly improved attendance. Worked hard at arith. Readmitted two infants. Vicar called on Monday & Thursday.
16th Good attendance. Jas Lunn left this week. Vicar called Monday.
23rd Good attendance
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS