Oxenhall School
1842-1868 | 1883-1935
Oxenhall School’s children assembled at the church gates - thought to be circa. 1910
First established in 1842 in association with the National Society, in a building donated by Lady Elizabeth Foley on their estate close to the church, Oxenhall Vicar’s School drew its income from subscriptions and in 1847 had 21 boys in attendance. However by 1868 it had closed, presumably through lack of funds.
Despite this setback, Oxenhall did not abandon its children’s education: some attended Newent’s National school, whilst others - likely girls and infants - were taught twice a week in the old schoolroom by the daughters of the Lord of the Manor, R.F, Onslow.
In addition about six boys attended a ‘night school’, run and taught by Vicar T.P. Little, and the parish also had a small ‘dame’ school attended by about 15 children. A dame school was a small, private, early form of elementary education for young children (usually ages two to five) in English-speaking countries, operating from the 17th to the mid-19th century. Run by women (dames) in their own homes, they provided basic reading, writing, and sometimes needlework or religious instruction for a small fee.
With government changes to the Education Act in 1873 requiring parishioners to send their children to Newent School, by 1883 the Oxenhall National School reopened under the management of the vicar and a temporary committee of parishioners with an average attendance of 38 boys and girls in a single all-age class.
By 1903 it had been taken over by the county education authority, and in 1905 the school building was enlarged to provide a separate infants’ classroom. Renamed Oxenhall C of E School in1907 it had an impressive average attendance of 44 children in 1910. However, by 1935 those attendees had fallen to 15, forcing Oxenhall school to close its doors for the foreseeable future.
Oxenhall School children in 1915 - with Mrs Berkeley and Miss Little in the back row
David Preece recalls his memories, aged nine, of the day the Great War ended on 11 November 1918:
“We were out at playtime and all at once the church bells started ringing down in Newent - and Lancaster’s hooter was a-going all the time. A young girl came up the hill pushing a bicycle and we asked her what was happening - and she said‘ the war is over!’. That was 11 November 1918. Of course we were all shouting and old Mrs Berkeley came out wanting to know what the noise was, so we told her. So she went and had a word with this girl, who told her it was true. Then the old lady lined us all up and said ‘Now I’m not supposed to do this…but I’m going to send you all home’. So we were away up that road like greyhounds!”
In 1997 the Oxenhall Parish History Group (OPHG) invited a number of local people who had attended Oxenhall School to a school reunion in the Parish Hall, where they had once all sat to attend lessons as former pupils.
Coming together to share their memories and common experiences led to invaluable anecdotes, insights and information being recalled and recorded that, had we not asked, would no doubt have eventually been forgotten or lost to time.
The team also managed to research and include the ‘Log Books’ and ‘Registers’ of the school which also contain interesting facts about the school’s activities, children and their families.
We are are most grateful to all of the wonderful contributors and the OPHG for allowing us to share those stories that were gleaned that day via the link below - also now with the Gloucestershire Archives to ensure future generations will always have access to the history of Oxenhall’s school, and be able to hear what school life there was like from some of the pupils themselves.