| Entry Type | Corporate |
| Corporate Name | Matlock Bank British Schools (1873-1902), Matlock Council Schools (1903-1999) |
| Place | Matlock |
| Epithet | elementary school |
| Dates | 1873-1999 |
| History | Matlock Bank British School with Infants and Mixed departments opened on Lime Tree Lane in January 1873 (Head Master, Edwin Davis). The Infants department operated as a separate school from 1896 when a new Head Mistress, Helen Edmeston, was appointed. Although there was much delay in elected a school board following the 1870 Education Act, the Matlock School was elected in August 1895 and from October 1895 took responsibility for the management of both the Infants and Mixed departments of the British School, re-appointing the same staff (see School Board Minutes, D669).
Part of the reason for establishing a new School Board was that more school spaces were needed, so planning for building a new school began immediately. Despite objections from local residents the Board purchased land on Smedley Street East and the new school was officially opened on 23 Sep 1897. An extension was built in 1901 to accommodate the infants separately from the Mixed School – the architect for the new building was John Nuttall who later designed Hall Leys Park.
The school became Matlock Council School in 1903 following the replacement of School Boards by Local Education Authorities, the Infants and Mixed Schools continued as separate schools with their own Head Teachers, but the same Managers. The Mixed School catered for Juniors and Seniors (up to 13/14 years of age according to the school leaving age in force at the time) until Easter 1952 when as part of the wider re-organisation of schools across Matlock, the Juniors and Seniors were separated. Joined by junior pupils from other schools in the town, the junior department became Matlock County Junior School and joined by other seniors, the Mixed School continued under the same Head Master, Tom Varnam as a Secondary School until it closed in 1956 when the new Charles White Secondary School opened (which then closed in 1982 when Highfields opened).
Unfortunately, due to lack of school records for the school after 1952, a more detailed history of this period cannot be written.
The separate Matlock County Infant and Junior Schools closed in July 1999, to be re-opened as Castle View Primary School in September 1999. |
| Key Events | 1873 6 Jan British School opened on Lime Tree Lane
1895 12 Sep First meeting of the new Matlock School Board. They take responsibility for the British School from 1 Oct 1895 and it is to be free to attend
1897 23 Sep Official opening of the new school (Infants had actually moved in 23 Aug and the remaining pupils on 20 Sep)
1899 26 Oct Planning begins for a new infants school for 250 children
1901 8 Jan Opening of the new Infants School building
1903 1 Oct School Boards are abolished; the school becomes Matlock Council School
1907 3 May Retirement of Edwin Davis as Headmaster after over 34 years’
1908 21 Sep Evening Continuation School re-opens
1913 Oct Mixed School re-organised into 8 classes: Juniors, Intermediates, Seniors
1916 Jan Mr Baxter is called up for military service (he dies in the war in Aug 1917)
1925 29 Jan School renamed Matlocks Council School (to reflect the fact it covers Matlock Bank, Matlock Green, Matlock Bridge, etc.)
1939 13 Sep Following the outbreak of the Second World War on 1 Sep, the school premises are adapted for a First Aid Station
1940 30 Sep James A Mills retires as Head Master after 33 years 5 months
1942 Oct As a result of the “Tanks for Attack” effort, the name of the school is inscribed on one of the two Valentine tanks “named” by Matlock.
1944 19 Sep School canteen opened in the Congregational school room, after the establishment of a county-wide school meals service
1945 3 Sep Return of Mr Archer after six years’ military service and prisoner of war
1946 Jan School returned to pre-war condition, some structural changes remained
1952 Apr Matlock County Infants and Matlock County Junior Schools established. (The former Mixed School building (juniors and seniors) became a secondary school and closed in
1956 with pupils transferred to Charles White Secondary School. This was succeeded by Highfields Secondary School in 1982. |
| Authorised Form of Name | Matlock; Matlock Bank British Schools (1873-1902), Matlock Council Schools (1903-1999); 1873-1999; elementary school |
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