"British Schools" etc, Berkeley and rest of UK (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, April 28, 2019, 18:59 (2042 days ago) @ Valx

Ref the term "British Schools", this term is somewhat misleading as it implies a Government institution, but those were known as National Schools. These National Schools were run by the local Church minister, so on Church of England lines, whereas it seems the "British Schools" were created by and presumably attended by Non-Conformists.

Sadly the Berkeley area isn't yet covered by the excellent British History website, but an idea about the early days of schooling within the Forest, which echoed the whole country, may be gained from this abridged excerpt.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
The educational system of the Forest of Dean has its roots principally in the missionary work of Anglican ministers in the early 19th century. Procter led the way in 1813 by opening a day school in his new chapel at Berry Hill and was followed by Henry Berkin who established a similar school at Holy Trinity church near Drybrook in 1819.... Those schools were on the National plan and, deriving only a small part of their income from pence and other parental contributions, depended for survival on financial assistance from the Crown, acting through the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues, and a few wealthy patrons. In the 1820s and 1830s several smaller, presumably dame, schools funded solely by parental payments were opened mostly in or near Cinderford. The Forest's chief colliery owner Edward Protheroe built a large school in Cinderford in 1840 but in general mine owners and ironmasters paid education little attention at that time. Apart from a British school started by Cinderford colliery owner Aaron Gould in 1851, nonconformist endeavours in education were, until the advent of a school board, confined mostly to the running of Sunday schools and bible classes."
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/glos/vol5/pp405-413

In more general terms, as taken from the long-established Victoria County History books, which itself gives the BH website,

"Education 1870 onwards
The history of schooling is often a story of the 19th and 20th centuries. Most rural parishes had a school of some sort by 1870, usually National (i.e. Church of England) schools administered by the incumbent. The nonconformists also set up a large number of day schools, as well as Sunday schools, in the first three-quarters of the 19th century, often (but not always) known as British schools. Even quite small villages had dame schools and larger places had more ambitious private schools, particularly for girls. Many workhouses also ran their own schools until after 1870."

More here
https://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/local-history/social-history/guidelines/educati...

Also find a good summary here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England#National_schools_and_Brit...