Education Committee of the Privy Council-Building Grant Plans

BGP

Education Committee of the Privy Council-Building Grant Plans

1840-1878

Although many of the plans are undated, it has sometimes proved possible to use departmental references as a dating aid (shown in italics in the list). Where a reference such as 57/1396 is used, it is clear from other dated examples that the first two digits refer to the year in question, in this case 1857. The plan itself could, of course, have been drawn up at a somewhat earlier date

Most of the buildings are by local architects and builders. However, a number of plans come from more celebrated architects - Decimus Burton (BGP/54), Ewen Christian (BGP/37), S S Teulon (BGP/53, 55) and Amon Henry Wilds (BGP/7)

The Public Record Office still holds associated records: applications for aid, 1833-1870 (ED 103) with additional information, 1839-1860 (T 1-3); preliminary reports for elementary schools, 1846-1924 (ED 7) and after 1924 (ED 21); a small selection of building grant plans, 1843-1872 (ED 228) and copies of the detailed specifications for the work (ED 17/3-4)

Source: A Morton Public Record Office Readers' Guide number 18: Education and the State from 1833 (1997)

English

61 Series

Records are open for consultation

Records given 5 Oct 1965 (ACC 679)

In August 1833 annual sums began to be voted by Parliament, for distribution by the Treasury, to supplement private money to build schools for poor children. From 1839 this grant-aid was made conditional on inspection and in England and Wales was distributed by the Education Committee of the Privy Council to voluntary bodies, such as the National Society or the British and Foreign School Society, for buildings or improvements. It continued until the provisions of the 1870 Elementary Education Act came into operation; no applications were accepted after 31 December 1870

Before a school received a grant its promoters were required to submit a preliminary statement. This recorded details of the tenure and establishment of the school, its income and expenditure and information about accommodation and staffing. The Education Committee of the Privy Council issued detailed specifications for the work including precise instructions to the various craftsmen (eg mason, slater, bricklayer, plasterer, smith etc) and plans of possible buildings

In 1965 the series of building grant plans was broken up and offered to the relevant local record offices by the Public Record Office under section 3(6) of the 1958 Public Records Act