Waterford Church of England (Mixed) School, 1873

"Miss Cordell is commencing the school with care & judgement. The Order is good." HMI

By Geoffrey Cordingley

Waterford School behind the War Memorial
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies

  January, 1873

6thI, Martha Cordell, took charge of Waterford School.  The Rev. P. Deedes visited.

Children rather noisy.

  7thExamined children – found them very backward in their attainments – especially in those of Writing and Arithmetic.  Commenced school at 9A.M. instead of 9.30.  The Rev. P Deedes visited in the afternoon, also the Misses Smiths.
  8thChildren in better order to-day.  Abel Smith Esq: visited.  The Rev. P. Deedes visited took classes I and II to Holy Scripture.
9thThree children had leave of absence in morning – one child removed before the expiration of two hours secular instruction – attendance cancelled in Register.  Made children stand still for two minutes at the end of the afternoon to teach them to keep their feet quiet.
10thRev. P. Deedes took Classes I and II to Holy Scripture in morning.  Again visited in the afternoon with Rev. C. Deedes.  New books, and other apparatus supplied.
13thRev. P. Deedes visited and collected club money.  All children at school except two – one of them absent with bad feet, the other is ill.
14thRev. P. Deedes visited and took class III to Reading, also classes I and II to Holy Scripture.  Taught children a new school song “Winter Time”.
15thChildren do not stand quite still yet whilst having their hats and cloaks brought to them.
16thRev. P. Deedes visited and questioned Classes III and IV on Holy Scripture
17thRev. P. Deedes visited – gave Scripture Lesson to Classes I and II.
20thTwo children away through illness – Rev. P. Deedes collected club money – children stood quite still whilst having their things.
21stThree children kept in, in the morning, and two in the afternoon for whispering.
22ndRev. P. Deedes visited.
23rdR. Smith Esq. visited in the morning – looked at Registers.  Two children had leave of absence in the morning.
27thAdmitted three new children who had previously attended Hertford Heath school – Rev. P. Deedes visited and collected club money, also took classes I and II to Church Catechism.  Children still inclined to whisper to each other.
28thRev. P. Deedes visited.  Taught children a new song “The First Grief”.
29thRev. P. Deedes visited during the afternoon and read Prayers.
30thHoly Scripture Lesson given by Rev. P. Deedes to Division I.

Division II answered very nicely on the “Visit of the Magi.”

31stTwo First Class girls kept in to do a lesson for speaking whilst Classes III and IV were being arranged over the gallery after recreation.

February, 1873

3rdOnly 20 children attended because of the snow.  The Registers were not marked.  One child still away through illness.  Rev. P. Deedes visited.
4thStill a very small attendance owing to the weather.  Did not mark the Registers.
5thAttendance a little improved.  Rev. P. Deedes visited, took Class I to Dictation, and  Division I to Holy Scripture.  Several children late in the afternoon.
6thSchool as usual
7thRev. P. Deedes visited in the afternoon gave Class II a Dictation Lesson.  In the morning Division II were kept in because they were rather noisy during their Holy Scripture Lesson.  New Bibles sent for the School.
10thRev. P. Deedes collected club money.
11thSeveral children absent owing to the weather.
12thMrs. Deedes and Miss Gosselin visited in the afternoon.
13thRev. P. Deedes visited in the morning and questioned Division II on the Holy Scriptures.
14thRev. P. Deedes visited both in the morning and afternoon. One child left school before time – attendance cancelled.
17thAdmitted a new child – 38 children present in the morning. Rev. P Deedes visited.
18thTaught children a new School Song called “May Song”.
19thMr. Wharf visited, and Rev. P. Deedes.
20thMr. Dorrington visited in the morning.
21stRev. P. Deedes visited. Ellen Norman signed her indentures.
24thA very small school owing to the weather. Rev. P. Deedes collected club money.
25thOnly 13 children present because of the snow. Registers were not marked.
26thChildren went to Church at 11.15 A.M. instead of having their Scripture Lesson. Rev. P. Deedes visited.
27thR. Smith Esq. and Rev. P. Deedes visited in the morning.
28thSchool as usual.

March, 1873

3rdSeveral children absent because of the weather.
4thChildren attended better to day. Rev. P. Deedes visited.
5thSeveral children had leave of absence.
7thRev. P. Deedes visited, took Class I to Arithmetic in the afternoon.

Miss Cannon also visited.

10thRev. P. Deedes collected club money. Two children absent through illness.
11thRev. P. Deedes attended school in the morning.
12thRev. P. Deedes visited.
13thSchool taken by Rev. P. Deedes and Ellen Norman till 11.30 A.M. – I was unable to attend through illness. Children examined in Scripture by Rev. Fisher at end of morning. Half holiday in the afternoon.
14thRev. P. Deedes gave Holy Scripture lesson to Division I. Class I worked Arithmetic very well to-day.
17thClub collected by Rev. P. Deedes. One child gone to Bengeo School because above the age of seven.
18thRev. P. Deedes visited and heard children sing. One child away with a sore throat.
19thRev. P. Deedes visited, and took Class I to Reading – also gave a Scripture Lesson. Mrs. Fish visited.
21stRev. P. Deedes took Class I to Arithmetic and Reading.
24thSeveral children suffering from sore throats. Rev. P. Deedes collected club money. Mrs. A Deedes visited and gave a Scripture Lesson to the First Division.
25thOne child still absent with sore throat. The child from the Fourth Class who was absent last week with a sore throat died last night. Mrs. Deedes visited.
26thAdmitted a new scholar.
27thRev. P. Deedes visited – spoke to the children about the death of their school fellow. Miss Deedes visited in the afternoon.
28thSchool as usual.
31st Admitted a child into Class IV. Rev. P. Deedes visited.

 April, 1873

1stChildren sang very well in the afternoon.
2ndRev. P. Deedes gave Holy Scripture Lesson to Division I.
3rd40 children attended in the afternoon.
4thRev. P. Deedes visited.
7thAdmitted a new child. Rev. P. Deedes visited. Children attended Church instead of having Holy Scripture and Catechism lessons.
8thChildren again attended Church.
9thRev. P. Deedes and Captain Plumer visited. Children went to Church again.
10thSchool closed in the morning for Easter Holidays.
21stCommenced school after Holidays – Admitted two children. Rev. P. Deedes collected club money. Dictation Lesson.
25thFour children kept in to do their dictation over again, because it was written badly.

 May, 1873

1stMr. Seden and the Misses Smith visited.
8thClass II worked their sums more accurately than usual.
12thR. Smith Esqr. And Mrs. Smith visited, also the Rev. P. Deedes. 43 children present in the morning.
14thSchool taken by Ellen Norman because illness prevented me attending all day. Rev. P. Deedes attended.
19thA holiday, because a new window was being put in the school.
21stClass III worked their sums better than usual.
26thSchool much disturbed by the crying of a new scholar.
30thThe Rev. G. Hill visited and looked at the children’s writing. School closed for a week’s holiday.

 June, 1873

9thCommenced school after the Whitsun holidays. Admitted a new child. 46 children present in the morning. Registers not marked in the afternoon because a great many children stayed away to see the Confirmation.
18thSeveral children absent because of the rain, in the morning.
19thRev. C. Deedes visited in the afternoon, and examined Standards I and II instead of children doing their needlework. Standard II did pretty well, Standard I not so well. Rev. C. Deedes heard children sing.
24thRev. P. Deedes visited, took Class I and II to Holy Scripture instead of their having Catechism.
25thChildren attended church in the morning, during the time appointed to Holy Scripture lessons. Punished a First Class girl for disobedience. She acknowledged her fault before the close of school.
30thClub collected in the morning by the Rev. P. Deedes, who afterwards gave the Holy Scripture lesson to Division I. Class IV fidgetty all day.

 July, 1873

1stOne girl away through illness – Children of Class IV a little better behaved than yesterday, but still rather restless owing to the hot weather.
7thKept Class IV in from play because they were rather noisy. Children attended very well, 46 being present. Rev. P. Deedes examined Standard I in Reading.
8thA girl of Class I fainted in the morning. Rev. P. Deedes examined Classes I and II in the morning; in the afternoon Classes II and III were examined by him in Dictation and Arithmetic, instead of doing Needlework. 48 children present in the morning.
14thRev. P. Deedes gave children a holiday because the choir had their excursion.
15thChildren did not attend very well in the afternoon. In the morning I worked according to the Time Table for Monday because the School Pence had to be collected.
21stRev. C. Deedes visited and collected club money. – children had a half-holiday in the afternoon, because of the Review at Woodhall.
24thSchool inspected by the Rev. C. J. Robinson in the morning.
25thSchool as usual. Re-arranged classes.

 August, 1873

12thMrs. Skipper visited in the afternoon to hear children sing.
13thSchool closed for Harvest Holidays.

 September, 1873

15thSummary of Inspection Report, and remarks made upon it by the Education Department, dated September 5, 1873.

Miss Cordell is commencing the school with care & judgement. The Order is good. I am glad to find a Class Room in course of Erection. The Gallery should be placed in it, opposite the Fire Place. It would be much better for the Needlework and the other lessons, if two large Windows were introduced, one on each side of the fireplace, in the Wall of the School Room facing the Desks. More books are needed.

E. Norman has passed an unsatisfactory examination. If she fails to the same extent next year, the Grant will have to be reduced by 10£ and thenceforth by 20£, for every year, at the end of which a similar failure is repeated. Article 32(c)

Signed Charles Deedes

For self & School Managers

15thCommenced school after the Holidays – the Revs. C. and P. Deedes visited, also Mr. and Mrs. R. Smith, and a lady. The size of the Gallery in class room decided upon, by them.
19thGave children a holiday, because the door between school and classroom was being put in.
24thA very poor attendance, many children having gone gleaning.
25thTaught Compound Multiplication to Standard III.

October, 1873

16thSeveral children absent picking up acorns.
20thChildren’s attendance a little improved.
21stRegisters not marked owing to the bad attendance – Children picking acorns.

November, 1873

3rdThe school conducted in the Morning by the Rev. P. Deedes and Pupil-teacher, as illness prevented me from attending. Miss Seden visited in the afternoon looked at the Copy Books, said she thought the children’s writing had greatly improved.
26thThe Fourth Class was kept in very good order by Ellen Norman.

December, 1873

5thKept two children after school for being absent without leave.
10thClass IV were not allowed to have recreation in the afternoon because of being noisy at their lessons in the class room.
19thThe Children broke up for the Christmas vacation.
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