Catalogue description Ministry of Education and predecessors: Public Elementary School Files

The first 754 pieces are arranged alphabetically by county in sequences for England, Wales, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

Within each accession they are arranged alphabetically by county, county borough and borough in England, Wales, Channel Islands and Isle of Man

The first section of the list, covering ED21/1-754, relate to schools in receipt of an annual grant which had closed before 1906. The former reference is the school number listed in the annual grant list.

The remainder of the list relates to schools which were still in being in 1906, or started since. The files for schools in the Isle of Man and Channel Islands are concerned with inspection by HM Inspectors on the invitation of the governments concerned, largely for the purpose of assessment of grant. Titles of schools are listed as in The List of Public Elementary Schools in England and Wales (List 21), first published in 1906. The former reference is the new school number introduced in 1906, which provided for a separate series of numbers for each Local Education Authority. This new number is listed in the Victorian County History footnote reference 'Min of Ed File 13/+ sub number'.

Early in the 19th century voluntary bodies, in particular the British and Foreign School Society (previously The Royal Lancastrian Association) and the National Society (The National Society for promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales) began to establish Voluntary Schools called "British" and "National" Schools respectively, which were supported by voluntary subscriptions and school fees, supplemented from 1833 by State Grants for building and later by Annual Grant from Government funds. The use of the terms "British" and "National" was discontinued by the Board of Education in 1906 and, where necessary to avoid confusion between neighbouring schools, the title "National" was replaced by "Church of England".

Details of annual grants to individual schools appear in the Appendices to the Minutes and Reports of the Committee of Privy Council on Education until 1895, when this information was published up to 1904 as a separate list. Preliminary statements are required to be submitted for new schools.

Under the Elementary Education Act, 1870, locally elected School Boards were required to provide elementary schools, known as "Board" Schools, where existing facilities were inadequate. In this connection, an Educational Census was undertaken and the subsequent reports and recommendations, together with school accommodation notices and known as "Parish Files", are to be found on the school file where it provided the sole educational provision for the parish (this is indicated in the list by an asterisk).

Under the Education Act, 1902, the duties of the School Boards were assumed by the Local Education Authorities and "Board Schools" thus became known as "Council Schools". The Local Education Authorities also became responsible for the maintenance, but not the provision of, Voluntary or "Non-provided" schools as distinct from Council or "Provided" Schools.