School Management Files

The school management files contain letters from teachers and managers of individual schools to the central offices of Norfolk Education Committee at Shirehall Chambers, Norwich, together with copies of replies. As the files contain confidential references to staff and pupils they are closed to public inspection for 50 years from the date of the last document in the file.

Closed for 50 years, 7 days notice required for production of files over 50 years old.

Shirehall Chambers was built in 1907-1908 principally to provide accommodation for the new Education Committee, the County Council having been given responsibility for state education in its area under the Education Act of 1902. These files were stored in a room in the basement of Shirehall Chambers abutting the Castle Mound. Unfortunately over the years water found its way down the walls of this room and the files suffered damage. Many of the folders were dirty and mouldy and have been replaced by the Record Office with acid-free folders. The school number (when given on the front of the original folder) is reproduced in the list below together with P (Provided, i.e. Council school) or NP (Non-Provided, i.e. denominational or other charity school).

It is unfortunate that when the Record Office was invited to remove documents from Shirehall Chambers basement the files for only the first half of the alphabet (i.e. letters A-L with one or two strays) were found. Those for the second half of the alphabet had, presumably, been destroyed.