School Records

School Records Education in Northumberland can be traced back many centuries. The earliest schools were set up before the year 1000. In c.635 St Aidan established a school on Lindisfarne, c.672 St Wilfrid established a school at Hexham and c.700 St Benet Biscop established a school at Tynemouth. Churches in the county with Saxon origins possibly also had schools attached to them. Between 1100 and 1500, monks, hospitals, charities and parishes provided schools and pupils from Northumberland attended universities. The main centres of education were Alnwick, Hexham and Tynemouth. A school was established at Norham in the fourteenth century and schools also possibly existed at Warkworth, Corbridge, Berwick and Woodhorn. A ‘ludi master’ (school master) is mentioned at Norham in 1300 so other than monastic schools this school can claim to be the oldest in the county. During the 19th century, a wave of reforms changed social and political life. In 1870 the Forster’s Education Act was passed. This established school boards to provide elementary education where there were no schools already in existence. In 1880, a second Education Act raised the school leaving age to 10. Attendance was now enforced. The 1889 Technical Instruction Act gave Northumberland the opportunity to establish a Technical Education Committee and organised evening classes in technical subjects. In 1891 a third Education Act abolished the need for parents to pay fees for pupils in elementary education. In this year, Northumberland County Council offered scholarships to boys to have secondary education. From 1898 girls were also eligible for these scholarships. Balfour’s Education Act of 1902 abolished school boards and established Local Education Authorities (LEAs). From this point, education was to be organised by county and borough councils. In 1906, the Provision of Meals Act made Local Education Authorities responsible for providing food for undernourished elementary schoolchildren. The early 20th century saw conditions improve in schools with the provision of playing fields and swimming baths. The 1918 Education Act raised the school leaving age to 14 and provided additional services in schools including medical inspections, nurseries and provision for education for special needs children. The Hadow report of 1926 recommended that children leave elementary education at 11 and then transferred to a secondary school. This was not implemented during the 1920s and 1930s as a result of economic conditions. World War II delayed the implementation of raising the school leaving age to 15. The 1944 R.A. Butler’s Education Act established the 11+ examination, raised the school leaving age to 15 and the Board of Education now became the Ministry of Education. All fees for education provided by local government were abolished. The 11+ examination was used to determine whether a pupil was to be transferred to a grammar, technical or secondary modern school. The 1960s and 1970s saw a large amount of development and change. The school age was raised to 16 as result of the 1973 Education Act. The pattern of how a child was transferred at 11 was changed to comprehensive schools. Northumberland County Council followed the Leicestershire example of a three tier system in First (5-8/9 years), Middle (8/9-13) and High Schools (13-18). Northumberland County Council also ran other types of schools. Two boarding schools in Marton (Cheshire) and Brown Rigg (Bellingham) were set up to cater for pupils whom it was felt would benefit from a boarding school education. These two schools have now closed. The County Council also ran hospital schools at Northgate, Prudhoe and Stannington. 1 The table below outlines the some types of records that have been deposited for individual schools from a variety of collections. Some schools are part of the County Education Series (CES), other school records are found in Anglican parish records (EP) amongst others. Please see staff if you are unsure of collection references. Many of the Northumberland school admission registers have been digitised and indexed and can be searched on www.findmypast.co.uk Schools marked * also have either original or copy material at Berwick Record Office. Some school records are subject to closure periods. Some of the records below are not accessible to the general public in the search room. If you would like to access information about an individual in a closed record please consult a staff member who will be pleased to advise on the process of making a request. The following closure periods apply to school records: Minute and log books: 30 years Admission and attendance registers and punishment books: 100 years Records that contain sensitive information (e.g. health records): 100 years School Reference Admission Attendance Punishment Number Registers Registers Books Acklington Church of England Controlled First CES 1 1853-1912 - - Acomb County First CES 2 - - - Adderstone and Warenford Council CES 3 1939-1980 1928-1959 1928-1959 Allendale County First CES 4 - - - Allendale Brides Hill NRO 5750 - - - Allendale County Middle CES 5 - - - Allendale St Peter’s County Primary (Sparty CES 6 1930-1972 - 1943 Lea) * Allenheads County Primary * CES 7 - - - Alnham Church of England Controlled County CES 8 1908-1954 - - Primary * Alnmouth County Primary CES 9 - - - Alnwick College of Education CES 273 - - - Alnwick The Duchess County High CES 10 1899-1907 - - Alnwick The Duke’s County Middle CES 11 1968-1980 - - CES 10/2/1 Alnwick Higher Grade O/CM/ED/77a - - - Alnwick Lindisfarne County Middle CES 12 - 1981-2005 - CES 13/1/1&2 Alnwick North County Infants CES 13 - - - Alnwick St. Andrew’s Mission Hall O/CM/ED/77a - - - NRO 1652/4 Alnwick St John’s Roman Catholic Aided First CC/CM/ED/R - - - RCP 2/12 Alnwick St Mary’s Roman Catholic Special CES 14 - - - Agreement Middle Amble Church of England County Primary CES 15 - - - (Medd Memorial Schools) Amble Links County First CES 16 1914-1970 - - Amble County Middle CES 17 - - - Amble Gibson Street Wesleyan M1/J4/15 - - - Amble St Cuthbert’s Roman Catholic Aided CES 328 1879-2005 - 1936-1949 First CC/CM/ED/R Ancroft Church of England Controlled * CES 18 1899-1960 - - Annitsford Roman Catholic RCP 5/67 - - - Ashington, Bothal County Middle CES 19 - - - Ashington Cavendish First CES 293 1956-1974 - - Ashington County High CES 20 - - - Ashington, The Hirst Schools CES 21 1896-1974 - 1928-1950 Ashington Hirst Park Middle CES 284 - - - 2 School Reference Admisson Attendance Punishment Number Registers Registers Books Ashington Hirst County Primary CES 322 1964-1974 - - Ashington Hirst Junior Boys CES 321 1967-1974 - - Ashington Hirst Junior Girls CES 320 1956-1974 - - Ashington Junior Instruction Centre CES 23 - - - Ashington Technical College CES 274 - - - Ashington St Aidan’s Roman Catholic Aided O/CM/ED/77a - - - Ashington Welbeck County First School CES 323 1974-1980 - - Astley County High CES 22 - - - Bamburgh Church of England Aided First * CES 24 1869-1981 1963-1982 1928-1948 Barrington County Primary CES 25 1876-1967 - - Beadnell Church of England Controlled First * CES 26 1870-1983 - 1928-1934 & 1946 Beal County Primary * CES 27 - - - Beaufront County First CES 28 - - - Bebside County Middle CES 312 1939-2005 1945-2010 1973-1983 Bedlington Colliery Church of England CES 30 1917-1951 - - (Sleekburn Church of England) Bedlington Colliery Central Kitchen CES 37 - - - Bedlington Council CES 29 1920-1941 - - Bedlington St. Benet Biscop Roman Catholic CES 282 1908-1983 - - Aided High Bedlington Secondary CES 32 1932-1967 - - Bedlington Station Council CES 279 - - - Bedlington Station and Guidepost Grouped CES 33 - - - Secondary Bedlington Station Practical Instruction Centre CES 36 - - - Bedlington Village Infants CES 31 1917-1974 - - Bedlington West End County First CES 281 1908-1974 - 1928-1972 Bedlington Westridge County Secondary CES 34 - - - Bedlington West Sleekburn County Secondary CES 39 - - - Bedlington Nedderton County Primary CES 38 1967-1976 - - Bedlington Whitely Memorial and East EP 39/111-114 - - - O/CM/ED/77a Bedlingtonshire County High CES 35 1942-1986 - - Belford County First CES 40 - - - Belford County Middle CES 41 - - - Belford Presbyterian * CES 85 - - - Bellingham County Middle CES 47 - - - Bellingham County Primary CES 42 - - - Bellingham Hareshawhead Council CES 43 - - - Bellingham National CES 45 - - - Bellingham Reed’s Charity CES 44 - - - Bellingham, Smalesmouth Hott County CES 46 1873-1966 - - Primary Bellingham St Oswald’s Roman Catholic CES 86 - - - Belsay County First CES 48 1888-1927 - - Beltingham Church of England Primary CES 49 - - - Berwick Bell Tower Schools * CES 50 1903-1932 - - Berwick County Primary CES 51 1906-1975 1893-1908 - Berwick Grammar and High* CES 56 - - - Berwick Holy Trinity Church of England Aided CES 53 1921-1962 - - First * EP 38/122-125 & 129-130 Berwick St. Mary’s Church of England CES 52 1903-1961 - 1949-1970 Controlled First EP 38/122-125 Berwick Whitadder Bridge National * CES 54 - - - EP 38/123 & 131-133 Bingfield Church of England Aided Primary CES 57 1893-1973 - - O/CM/ED/77a 3 PC 11/2 Birtley Church of England Primary CES 58 - - - EP 67/12 & 34-37 Blanchland Church of England First CES 59 1876-1900 - 1932-1975 EP 30/26 Blyth Bebside First CES 278 1869-1952 - 1953-1973 Blyth Bebside County Middle CES 312 1939-2005 1945-2010 - Blyth Cowpen Colliery CES 63 - - - Blyth Cowpen Grouped Schools CES 291 - - - Blyth Cowpen Roman Catholic RCP 9/2/27-36 1884-1975 - - Blyth Crofton Infants CES 64 1904-1960 - - Blyth District Education

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