Schools
Elstow village school.
Following the Education Act of 1870, which introduced compulsory education in England for the first time, Elstow School was founded and it opened in 1873. It was the only free school in Bedford providing secondary education, until Silver Jubilee school (in Acacia Road) was opened in 1937.
Alternatively, children in the Bedford area could take an exam which, if passed, would gain them a scholarship to one of Bedford's Harper Trust schools.
The first headmaster of Elstow school was Thomas James. He served from 1873 to 1921. The school began gardening classes in 1917, because of wartime food shortages.
Mr James was succeeded by Robert ('Bob') AJ Wadsworth, who served until 1949. Mr Wadsworth was a very strict headmaster but was, in several ways, an innovative man, ahead of his time, for he: introduced school meals long before they became universal; ran an experiment in agricultural education - the school had an allotment plot on the west side of Elstow high Street, where Bob taught pupils how to cultivate the soil and grow crops.
But Bob Wadsworth is probably best known for reviving Elstow's May Festival. in 1925. He can be seen in many of the photographs in our 1920s to 1949 May Festival photo albums.
In 1927, mortgages were taken out, so that additional classrooms could be built, to cope with the increasing school population. In 1933, a report on noted that the school provided education for all the children of Elstow and those of 11+ from the contributory schools of five villages and three districts - New Harrowden, New Fenlake and Shortstown - in which there is no school. This report also stated about parents that they ' are mainly farmers, smallholders, engineers, mechanics on farms, or farm labourers. The school therefore has to cater for a wide variety of interests. This it does mainly through practical work, the conditions for which are far from ideal, as the building of rooms for practical work, plans for which were submitted by the Local Education Authority and approved by the Board [of Education], has not yet been carried out. The success in the training given is very remarkable in the circumstances, and the versatility, ability, and organising powers of the Head Master call for special recognition".
For further information, see Elstow community page on Bedford Archives website.
If you have any information about any of the photos below - eg. the names of the people, what the events are - or if you have any other Elstow School photos, or information about the school's history, do please contact me
More about the history of education in Elstow can be found in our History Archive
Alternatively, children in the Bedford area could take an exam which, if passed, would gain them a scholarship to one of Bedford's Harper Trust schools.
The first headmaster of Elstow school was Thomas James. He served from 1873 to 1921. The school began gardening classes in 1917, because of wartime food shortages.
Mr James was succeeded by Robert ('Bob') AJ Wadsworth, who served until 1949. Mr Wadsworth was a very strict headmaster but was, in several ways, an innovative man, ahead of his time, for he: introduced school meals long before they became universal; ran an experiment in agricultural education - the school had an allotment plot on the west side of Elstow high Street, where Bob taught pupils how to cultivate the soil and grow crops.
But Bob Wadsworth is probably best known for reviving Elstow's May Festival. in 1925. He can be seen in many of the photographs in our 1920s to 1949 May Festival photo albums.
In 1927, mortgages were taken out, so that additional classrooms could be built, to cope with the increasing school population. In 1933, a report on noted that the school provided education for all the children of Elstow and those of 11+ from the contributory schools of five villages and three districts - New Harrowden, New Fenlake and Shortstown - in which there is no school. This report also stated about parents that they ' are mainly farmers, smallholders, engineers, mechanics on farms, or farm labourers. The school therefore has to cater for a wide variety of interests. This it does mainly through practical work, the conditions for which are far from ideal, as the building of rooms for practical work, plans for which were submitted by the Local Education Authority and approved by the Board [of Education], has not yet been carried out. The success in the training given is very remarkable in the circumstances, and the versatility, ability, and organising powers of the Head Master call for special recognition".
For further information, see Elstow community page on Bedford Archives website.
If you have any information about any of the photos below - eg. the names of the people, what the events are - or if you have any other Elstow School photos, or information about the school's history, do please contact me
More about the history of education in Elstow can be found in our History Archive
the_development_of_secondary_education_from_1902_to_1970_in_the_borough_of_bedford.pdf |
Abbey School
Coming soon; 100s more photos (of when the school was open😀).