Education Department: Elementary Education, London Educational Returns

Education Department education returns for London that give details of the type of school, number of pupils, size of classrooms, income of the school, its religious connection (if any) and its staffing.

The inspectors' reports are filed with the returns to which they relate. In some cases examination schedules are also attached.

The returns are grouped for the ten separate divisions of the metropolis specified in the Fifth Schedule to the Elementary Education Act 1870 and defined, as to boundaries, by an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education, 7 October 1870; and the divisional groups are sub-divided into groups for parishes.

For seven of the divisions there are lists of schools inspected or investigated; and in three divisions there are also general reports on the parishes and wards making up the divisions.

See also Records of the Inspectorate

Topics

Religions

Education

The Educational Census for which Section 67 of the Elementary Education Act 1870 provided was taken, in the case of the metropolis, early in 1871 after the election of the first School Board for London. The managers, master or mistress of every elementary school, public or private, in which the ordinary fee did not exceed 9d. per week, were required to complete an educational return, giving information as to the type of school, its religious connexion (if any), size of school rooms and number of scholars, particulars of the principal teaching staff, and the income of the school.

The Education Department sent Inspectors of Returns to visit the schools and investigate their efficiency.