Her Majesty’s Inspectors’ Reports

Documents accompanying an early school logbook give us some idea of attendance numbers, subjects taught and the amount of the annual grant assessment.

Fovant School. Grant amounts for year ending 31st December 1866.

The reason for the deductions was not recorded. The evening school was, presumably, for adults.

 

Day school

Evening School

Average attendance

50 (£10) infants 8 (£2.12.0)

19 (£2.7.6)

Presented for exam

48 (£18)

19 (£3.16.8)

Reading

44

17

Writing

41

15

Arithmetic

35

14

Total passes

135

 

Total grant

£36.16.2.

 

Deductions

£9.12.4.

 

Net sum payable

£27.3.10

 

The reason for the deductions was not recorded. The evening school was, presumably, for adults.

(From the earliest school logbook available)

Fovant National School.

The following summary of a report, after an HMI visit for the purpose of making a grant assessment, is an extract from a letter dated February 2nd 1867, from the Committee of Council on Education, Downing Street, London, to the Rev. E.H.Elers, then Rector of Fovant.

‘The children are well behaved and passed fairly in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic; their intelligence however and Religious Knowledge are unsatisfactory. An addition has been made to the grants on account of the scholars who were prevented by epidemic sickness from being present on the day of the inspector’s visit. The total grant is however limited by the amount of voluntary contributions and School Pence. [Parental fees – education was not free]

Miss Good’s certificate is postponed until My Lords receive a more favourable report upon the intelligence of the scholars and their attainment in Religious Knowledge’

(Since Louisa Good continued as headmistress for subsequent years her certificate must have been eventually granted)

J.O.H.
2005