Our School
There has been a school in Old Sodbury since 1840 but over the long old years the school has changed quite a bit. In 1867 a school inspector inspected the school and decided that they should buy new land so that they could build a new school building. They moved into this school building in 1870.
At the start of Queen Victoria’s reign education was for wealthier families. Then a law was made saying all children of ages 5-10 had to go to school.
The teachers in Victorian time were strict and rude. Children had to do what they were told, if not they would get a rap across their knuckles with a ruler or a clip around there ears. Teaching was often a job for ladies that weren’t married so not a lot of men taught in school because pay was poor.
Teachers normally used blackboards. They were used so that children could copy information or say the writing practise. Children would write on slates [a small black board] and they used a slate pencil to write on the slates. As children got older, they would write in a parchment book with ink pens and inkwells. Instead of using a calculator for maths they used an abacus.
They would not really have break as we do, for they said school was only for learning. They would only have five to ten minutes to play before or after lunch. Children would occupy themselves with a large variety of toys like: hoops, jumps, skipping ropes and marbles. They would play games like: tag, British bulldog, hopscotch and football( played with an inflated pigs bladder).
Children could go home during lunch break but some people would stay at school. Each day there would be an assembly for the whole school and there would be prayers and a bible reading. Teachers would cane a student if naughty or disobedient. Also you could be sent home for being dirty. They would get told of for: answering back, being rude, poor work, speaking off turn. Left handed children would be forced to use their right hand. Old schools would have a room for their school master. To begin with, you had to pay to go to school. One child is 4/- or 4 shillings and two children are 7/- and the rest are 2/-.
School log book
On December 19th 1883 our school had 75 children in it, the teachers punished three boys for talking and sent dirty children home.
Here are some of the object lessons that children learnt about at our school: food generally [ why we eat or drink ], why we dress, cotton, wool, silk, leather, vegetables, reindeer, Indian corn, coins, gold, camel, ostrich, and silkworm.
Also here are some reasons of low attendance: cattle market Chipping Sodbury, Christmas, harvest, looking at Dodington Christmas tree and Easter.
Also here are some quotes or sentences from the log book:
- went through the mountains of Europe with the first and second class,
- school duster lost,
- lead of school windows repaired,
- J Goddard expelled for insolence,
- prizes given from vicar to the children,
- learned a new school song,
- school playground separated from garden by hurdles