Catalogue description Board of Education: Independent and Private Schools, Returns of Private Schools not recognised for Grant or Efficiency

Search within or browse this series to find specific records of interest.

Date range

Details of ED 15
Reference: ED 15
Title: Board of Education: Independent and Private Schools, Returns of Private Schools not recognised for Grant or Efficiency
Description:

Local Education Authority returns made under s 28 of the Education Act 1918 and s155 of the Education Act 1921 to the Board of Education, as an attempt to obtain a census of private schools.

The information available in this series is uneven. Most of the Forms 451G for Educational Institutions concerned with Art, Commerce or Professional Training have survived. Replies to circular 1157 are reasonably complete, but the list of schools and educational institutions known to the Board are not available for all areas. Some authorities added accommodation figures and age range, and a few continued to submit lists up to 1944.

The information for Welsh areas is largely non-existent before 1930. It comprises details of individual schools and a number of Forms 451G (which escaped destruction) for elementary and secondary schools; Glamorgan provided detailed lists from 1924 to 1944.

Date: 1919-1944
Arrangement:

The Returns are arranged in two sections, for England and Wales, in alphabetical order for counties.

Separated material:

Papers concerning the Channel Islands are wanting.

Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Physical description: 56 file(s)
Selection and destruction information: Forms 451G for elementary and secondary schools have been destroyed.
Unpublished finding aids:

A summary of the Returns prepared for the report on the census of private schools under Section 28(1)(a) of the Education Act 1918 in the Board's Annual Report for 1921-1922 is available. Please speak to staff at the enquiry desk for the precise locati

Administrative / biographical background:

Provision for the collection of information respecting schools was made under Section 28 of the Education Act, 1918 re-enacted in Section 155 of the Education Act, 1921.

Under these Acts it became the duty of the responsible persons concerned to furnish the Board of Education, on Form 451G, with the name, address and a short description of every school or educational institution not in receipt of grant. Local Education Authorities were asked in Circular 1157 (22 April 1920) to conduct a survey and complete the list of private schools and educational institutions already known to the board.

The list excluded schools in receipt of grant from the Board of Education or the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; elementary schools certified as efficient and secondary schools recognised as efficient; Universities and University Colleges; Poor Law Schools and schools certified under Part IV of the Children Act, 1908, and educational establishments administered by the Army Council or Admiralty.

The board recognised that attempts under existing circumstances to establish a register of schools falling outside its regulations, would prove ineffective.

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research

How to look for...