Pound Street school-log 1892-1917

Date

 Log-Book Entry
Jan 1892 Scarlatina
Mar 1892 Reprimand from Board - only the Master to give punishments after complaint from Colonel Bluett.
June 1892 First drawing exam by local inspector.
July 1 1892 Poor attendance owing to fire at Mr Laskey's Court St. - several dwelling houses burnt down.
Aug 1892 Report for 1891-2: Higher grant only barely earned for English & Geography as instruction too mechanical. Arithmetic VG. Neatness, Reading, Spelling, Composition & Recitation Good. Good order.
Dec 1892 Poor attendance due to Christmas market.
Jan 1893 Mr Neck gave all children a tea at Infants School.
Feb-March 1893 Mumps.
April 1893 Number of boys 'returned to Dr Barnado's home'.
July 1893 Holiday & tea party for marriage of Duke of York & Princess May.
July 1893 Eric Opie & Fred Adams 'taken from parents & placed in Newton Union'.
Aug 1893 Report for 1892-3: VG order & Arithmetic; some Grammar & Geography weak.
  Assistant Teacher Harry Friend won second class Queen's scholarship.
Mar 1894 Applied to Board for harmonium.
July 1894 Absences - gone to Volunteer camp at Manaton.
Aug 1894 Attendance better by offering prizes at Athletic Sports in playground - tradesmen donated 'presents'.
Sep 1894 Report for 1893-4: Arithmetic not so good but both class subjects very well taught. VG pass in Elementary subjects. VG order.
Sep 1894 School closed for tea given by WFD Smith.
Sep 1894 Loss of grant due to low average attendance. Asked again for harmonium.
Nov 1894 Applies again for harmonium. Assistant Teacher Harry Friend leaving - been 'very painstaking & industrious'.
Nov 1894 Master given 2 days 'holiday' - in fact has got married & Harry Friend & school give him wedding present on return of 'pretty cruet stand'.
Dec 1894 Friend leaves - presented by boys with 'beautiful writing desk'.
Jan 21 1895 New Assistant Teacher Sydney Chase - takes II & III standard.
Mar 8 1895 Tea from S N Neck (Board chairman) & entertainment in Smethhurst Schoolroom.
April 1895 Chase passed Scholarship Exam in Third Division.
Sep 1895 Report for1894-5: VG order. Very creditable exam though Grammar might be stronger in 5th & 6th standards.
  Report for drawing exam: Good.
  Photo taken of all boys - copies to be given as prizes.
May 1896 Mr Bourne of Doccombe to be prosecuted for not sending boys regularly.
May 29 1896 Board members watch boys go through Musical & Military Drill.
June 19 1896 Mr East (Board Member & Steward for Smith estate) on behalf of WFD Smith presents bass drum for Fife & Drum band.
June 1896 Long list of approved (by Inspector) object lessons grouped under topic headings e.g. foods, clothing etc.
Aug 1896 Report for 1895-6: VG - 'much skill & enthusiasm'. Questions use of only one classroom for 2 teachers & 2 separate standards.
  Drawing; Good
Oct 23 1896 Chase slipped while playing with boys during dinner time & dislocated shoulder.
Dec 8 1896 Portion of ceiling fell in.
Feb 5 1897 18s for India Famine Fund sent to Western Morning News.
Mar 12 1897 Correspondence with Miss Davies, schoolmistress of North Bovey. 2 boys sent by father from North Bovey as he 'prefers tuition under a Master'.
June 1897 P Boyce & S Aggett passed Labour Certificates - can now start work under 14 as affirmed their school work of reasonable standard.
  Poor attendance - North Bovey Jubilee Festivities.
July 1897 Report for 1896-7: VG & praise for Band. New schoolroom should be provided asap.
  Drawing: Good.
Sep 1897 New room being built. Cannot use the classroom so all in the 'big room'.
Jan 1898 Death of Chase. Boys buy porcelain wreath to put on his grave (at Kingsbridge).
May 24 1898 New assistant finally arrives - Mr William R Ward.
July 1898 Long list of object lessons - all practically based.
  Report for 1897-8: VG order & condition of school but lower standards 'not as good as usual'. Need more object lessons in lower standards. Might lose grant if no improvement.
Sep 1898 Applied for globe & apparatus for experiments in object lessons.
Nov 1898 Needs cupboard for apparatus needed for object lessons.
Dec 1898 Whooping cough.
Jan & Feb 1899 Assistant Ward absent - no replacement.
July 1899 Report for 1898-9: On whole 'decidedly good' school though lower standards not taught as well as upper.
Nov 1899 17s 6d collected for Western Morning News widows & orphans fund.
Jan 1900 New assistant Mr Whale from Bodmin.
  6 new fifes from WFD Smith.
Mar 1 1900 Chairman of School Board brings news of relief of Mafeking & gives a holiday!
May 1900 School closed for 3 weeks for measles.
July 1900 Quite detailed syllabus notes.
Aug 1900 Whale left to go to Training college.
  Report for 1899-1900: Critical of analysis of sentences by older boys & spelling imperfect in 3rd but takes into account recent illnesses. VG order.
Sep 1900 New assistant Walter Vivian Roberts.
Oct 1900 Robert Sibley died of diptheria.
Dec 1900 School closed week early for Xmas for scarlet fever.
March 1901 Object lesson on census.
  Complains to Board of employment of boys by tradesmen on Tues am.
June 10 1901 School closed pm as Volunteers returned from Boer War & drum & fife band joined in procession & welcome. 3/4 volunteers former pupils - A Wills, F Parker & H Dymond.
Sep 1901 Report for 1900-01: Very well taught, good order, creditable condition.
Oct 3 1901 Band have tea at Hayne with Smiths.
Jun 2 1902 Afternoon holiday. School Band play in The Square on news of peace in South Africa.
Jun 20 1902 School closed for coronation holiday.
July 1902 Details of syllabus for 1902-3.
  Report for 1901-2: VG order. Teaching 'sound & efficient'. Military Drill deserves praise. Premises need repairs & better ventilation.
Nov 10 1902 Waif Saturday - boys collect 3 guineas for Dr Barnados.
Jul 28 1903 Poor attendance for first cattle show in town.
  Report for 1902-3: Good order & creditable progress but too many in lower classes & attendance not regular enough. Premises & ventilation have improved.
Sep 1903 Devon County Council takes over control from Board. Run by Managers - Rev Lancaster, S N Neck, J S Neck JP & G Field.
  Holiday & fete at Hayne for birth of son for WFD Smith.
Nov 1903 Assistant passes certificate 'first class' & leaves for school near Bristol.
Jan 1904 New assistant Lancaster.
Feb 1904 Start half-holidays for attendance of 90%+ once a month.
April 1904 Devon County C ouncil appoints attendance officer & gives certificates for 98% attendance.
May 1904 Boys assemble & 'march to lessons'.
Aug 1904 Report for 1903-4: Good order, satisfactory progress, better attendance. Some repairs still needed.
Nov 1904 Teachers now paid monthly rather than quarterly.
May 24 1905 Empire Day - boys formed into a square in playground & all saluted when band played national anthem.
July 1905 Report for 1904-5: Teaching vigorous & effective. Very satisfactory progress. Good discipline.
Nov 1906 School closed for roof repairs. Have to use Drill Hall with only 6 desks & I room until 18 Jan.
Mar 1907 New assistant W Acutt has problems keeping order.
Nov 1908 School closed for 6 weeks for measles.
March 1909 Galleries in 2 classrooms to be removed.
July 1909 New Coulthard prize (in honour of his father) for best progress.
Sep 1909 County Medical Officer starts visiting.
Oct 1909 Scarlet fever - some boys' books destroyed by order of Medical Officer.
Oct 25 1909 T. B. Bowring visits & offers money prizes based on best aggregate quarterly test marks for attainment & conduct. Oldest div: £3, 2nd: £2, 3rd: £1. To be put in winners' PO Savings bank accounts as 'an encouragement to thrift'.
Jan 14 1901 School closed for 6 weeks for scarlet fever.
May 9 1910 Death of 'our beloved King Edward VII' - boys given talk on 'some historical facts' about him & Queen.
May 30 1910 Education Board to limit school to 113 boys.
June 27 1910 Scripture exam by Rev. Hines.
July 1910 Syllabus now includes Shakespeare & organised games.
Oct 1910 Bowring prize winners names on board in school.
Nov 3 1910 Report on Scripture exam: good standard even though some of better boys have recently left 'to work in the fields'.
May 24 1911 Empire Day: Boys given short address in playgound. Band played 'God save the King' & 'God bless the Prince of Wales'. Hearty cheers for Royal family & our countrymen across the seas. Boys marched into school.
Sep 11 1911 School closed for 3 weeks - case of poliomyilitis in town.
Oct 4 1911 Manager Rev. Lancaster talks about behaviour in streets - boy confesses to putting iron bar across footpath at Kinsman's Dale.
Oct 10 1911 Some boys barred due to polio in family or area.
April 4 1912 School re-ordered into 3 divisions & 3 terms - from April to July, July to Decemberc & December to Easter. Exam at end of each term.
  Detailed new syllabus for 3 divisions.
June 1912 2 Pyne boys walk back to Okehampton after 'dinner' & then next day walk to school with mother from Okehampton - left at 4am!
July 26 1912 Sir Thomas Bowring gives prizes & tea at Smethhurst Schoolroom.
Sep 1912 Boys taken to see Arts & Crafts Exhibition.
April 8 1913 Good report. Mentions 'prizes of considerable value' to best boy in each class'. Commends band.
June 1913 Report of scripture exam. (N.B. gives class sizes):
  Group 1: 14 boys with Mr Phillips: VG
  Group 2: 44 boys with Mr Luke: VG
  Group 3: 43 boys with Mr Cox: Excellent
Oct 15 1913 Master has day off for daughter's wedding but calls in afternoon to check all ok - it is.
Nov 7 1913 All pupils attend funeral of pupil Harold Hooper.
Jan 1914 Complaints about heat & light.
April 7 1914 Sir T. Bowring offers prize of £60 for any boy or girl who passes County Scholarship exam = free place at Newton Abbot Secondary School & rail season ticket for 3 years.
May 1914 Excellent scripture report - boys given half-day holiday. Best boys listed.
May 14 1914 Given Union Jack & flagstaff by Sydney Seymour. Boys' drill band plays national anthem & boys salute flag.
  Managers present: Chairman J Stevens-Neck, H.S. Seymour, A Blackmore & J Gray.
July 1914 Prize winners. Arthur Colridge won T. Bowring scholarship.
Sep 7 1914 Assistant Phillips 'has joined Kitchener's army'. Mr Luke has given up holiday from Reading University to 'come to my assistance'.
Sep 28 1914 Retired master W Kneebone & Miss Jarvis of Kingsbridge to help teach. But Master has problems organising all drill & games.
Oct 2 1914 Boys collect money to buy 2 blankets for soldiers at the front.
  2 new Assistant teachers - one is Mr Lewis from America who is living in Moreton.
  School dentist visits.
Nov 20 1914 Former pupil Fred Beer killed at Renteul, Belgium Nov 5.
Nov 27 1914 Former pupil Hubert Abraham died from wounds at Front.
Jan 1915 Mr Philllips & Mr Eggbeer have returned as Assistant Teachers.
April 1915 Cases of scarlatina. Country children barred from school for 6 weeks.
  Assistant Eggbeer joins RAMC. New Assistant Mahoney.
Summer 1915 Measles. Without assistant for month.
Autumn 1915 Understaffed - an assistant sent to another school on supply. Has temporary female assistants.
Oct 18 1915 Death of Sir T Bowring - boys attend funeral & give wreath at Unitarian Chapel.
Spring 1916 Measles, mumps & whooping cough - boys off for 3 weeks. School closed for week to be disinfected.
Autumn 1916 Some boys excluded 'on account of diptheria'.
May 24 1917 Empire Day parade with the scouts & talk on 'Our Empire' & 'Economy in Food'.
July 1917 Whortleberry picking has begun, 'consequently the attendance is poor'.
Nov 16 1917 Average attendance 89.8/98.