The Schools

 
The Minister was Caleb Collins, the Church wardens, Henry Miles and Benjamin Newell, and the 4 others were 'Richard Cobden Esquire, Charles Challen and James Challen, farmers, and Richard Fisher Esquire of West Lavington.' All were highly respected citizens and Richard Cobden, who was passionate about the provision of children's education, probably brought pressure to bear to get it started. All four of them were required to pay 'twenty shillings at the least' a year to school funds. People who elected someone to any vacancy had to pay ten shillings at least per vote - no one was allowed more than six votes - but there is no clue as to who these electors were. The school was built by public subscription, the greater part of which was given by Lord Leconfield.
 
The Admissions Register records the first pupil as being Alice Jenner who joined in 1867 aged 5. The last to join was Sheila Lovejoy, daughter of Walter and Marion Lovejoy. She joined in May 1951, aged 4½, the 1338th pupil.
 
The school's reputation, and the number of children attending it, varied greatly during the almost 90 years of its history. The earliest surviving Headmistress's Log Book starts on 1 June 1900, when , during the previous year, there had been an average attendance of 54. The number was considerably reduced if it was raining heavily and during 'epidemics', hop picking or haymaking.
Extracts from the Log Books are given below.
 
15 June 1900 School closed for Heyshott annual pleasure fair.
10 July 1900 Diocesan Inspection. 19 certificates awarded and 6 children said to be excellent.
19 July 1900 HM Inspectors' Report: 'At no visit has the discipline, organisation or construction of the mixed school produced a very favourable impression . There is need in all repsects of a clearer conception of aim and a more systematic and energetic attempt to secure some definite and valuable result. In all subjects much of the work seems perfunctory. The infants class is in most respects rather better than a mixed school. The grant under Article 105 cannot again be recommended unless a marked improvement is apparent.' [The total amount of the annual grant was £60 4s 9d]
 
September 1902 School reopens after the summer holidays. Many absentees, 45 & 44 present in the morning and afternoon. Schoolroom and premises cleaned during vacation. Stove added in place of open grate. Owing to the hop picking being so late this year, 16 children absent all this week.'
April 1903 The County Council takes over the management of the schools from this day.
August 1903 Diocesan Inspector's Report: 'the answering of the infants in the Holy Scripture was weak and imperfect but in other subjects they did well.
January 1909 One boy, Sydney Lovejoy, has this year completed 5 years of perfect attendance.'