School records

Elementary education during the first half of the nineteenth century was primarily dependent on the provision of schools by the Church and by various charities. The role of the state was extended from the late nineteenth century onwards with many new schools being established.

After 1870 most children between the ages of 5 and 10 should be going to school. After 1880, schooling until age 10 was compulsory (though in practice non-attendance was still widespread in places).

So from the 1880s onwards, chances are most of your ancestors should have attended school, most likely the nearest school to their home.

Lists of schools can be found in local trade directories.

Please note that some school records may be under restricted access. In most cases this will simply mean that you are required to sign a declaration stating that you conducting private research, not intended for publication. In  access to records may be restricted completely to protect the rights of those mentioned in the documents.

Admission Registers

• Admission registers generally date from about the 1860s and 1870s

• May include admission and leaving dates, names and addresses of parents and the dates of birth of individual children

• More detailed registers may also include the name of the school from which a pupil has moved or is moving to

• Admission registers often contain contemporary indexes to the names of pupils recorded within the volume

Log Books

• The earliest log books held by the Dorset History Centre date from the 1860s

• Compiled by the head teacher and contain general information about the school, including information about teachers, the numbers of children attending

• Notes on misdemeanours and health, school inspections and important events and visitors may also be found

• They provide a valuable insight in rural areas such as Dorset, into the seasonal agricultural employment of children and the effects of bad weather, sickness and disease on school life

Other School Records

Other records which may have survived include attendance registers, photographs of various aspects of school life as well as more formal class portraits, school publications, punishment books, governors' minutes and other papers, and HM Inspector's reports (a sort of early OFSTED report). In some cases there may also be records relating to school buildings and maintenance, and a few schools collection will include deeds of properties or land owned by the school.