Schools and Colleges

In the provision of education, 19th century England lagged not only behind her continental competitors but also behind neighbouring Scotland. For those children who did receive any education, and by that we mean little basic literacy skills, quality was hardly the watchword. Provision varied enormously from area to area and there were no state institutions of any kind.

In 1818 a survey showed that some 650,000 children were being educated at about 18,000 endowed and non-endowed schools. In addition to this there were about 15,000 Sunday Schools. Despite this, illiteracy was widespread and state aid to voluntary educational societies was prevented due to the deadlock between Anglicans and non-conformists over the kind of religious instruction to be given. The two main religious bodies providing education were the National Schools, which were Anglican, and the British and Foreign School Society, which was Non-conformist. In 1833, Parliament had voted £2.000 “for the purposes of education” to be shared by the two societies.¹

The rivalry between these two groups was to hamper much educational progress for the rest of the century. In 1870, the government of William Gladstone stepped into the minefield of education, passing the first major act, that of Forster. This Act allowed for the continued existence of denominational schools, but in areas where they were deficient, School Boards were to be set up with the powers to organise schools and to enforce attendance between the ages of five and twelve. The new Boards were to be supported by the rates. Here lay the rub as Non-conformists were appalled at the thought of financing schools of the Anglican establishment. Once again the issue of religion raised its not too pretty head – what religious education there should be? It was decided that religious education should be neutral and taught the first lesson of the day so that objectors could withdraw their children without disrupting the school day.

“There are numerous chapels belonging to various bodies of Dissenters. There are National. Infant and Sunday Schools to most of the chapels”.²

In October 1870, Alderman Fowler brought forward a resolution instructing the Town Council to apply to the government Education Department for the formation of a school Board for the Borough. When authority was received, nominations for the Board were sought. As stated previously there was a great concern amongst churchmen, locally and nationally, that the school Boards would weaken their hold on the education of the young. In the event there were eleven people elected to the Wolverhampton Board including two independents, one Roman Catholic, two Wesleyans, four church and two liberals. Thus the Wolverhampton School Board was formed on November 28th, 1870, not long after the passing of the Act. At first the Board occupied rooms in Stafford Street later moving to purpose built premises.

The first business of the Board was to get returns for the number of children of school age for whom no provision was made. In the meantime they took over the British Schools in Walsall Street, the Chillington School, Monmore Green and the Ragged School in Salop Street and occupied premises in Stafford Street erected in 1885.

There was still the problem of religion, for in Wolverhampton church leaders were in the ascendancy. After much discussion the Board adopted a resolution similar to that of the London Board:

“That in all the schools provided by the Board the Bible should be read, and there should be such explanation given in the principles of religion as are suited to the capacity of the children. Provided that the intentions of the Act are strictly observed in letter and spirit, and no attempt is made to attach children to any particular denomination”.

In 1896 there were seven schools under the control of the Board, besides a day industrial school formerly the Ragged School. Schools controlled by the Board included Brickkiln Street, built in 1878 and enlarged 1894; Dudley Road built in 1873; Monmore Green, 1870; Walsall Street, 1895 and Willenhall Road built in 1875. These schools have a remarkable unity of design, which is hardly surprising. There are good examples on the Walsall Road and at Monmore Green of Board School architecture.³

The Royal School, Penn Road, Wolverhampton.

The Royal School owes its existence to an act of philanthropy by the Wolverhampton lock and key manufacturer John Lees.

At first the school was designed to serve the Wolverhampton area, but this was later reviewed when Lees decided to enlarge the school and bought a piece of land at Goldthorn Hill for this purpose. In 1852 an appeal was launched for a building fund. It was opened as Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum in 1854 to a design by the Corsham architect Joseph manning. There were many extensions to the building over the years. A new chapel was later added to the building in 1895 from a design by T.T. Beck, to seat four hundred. It is of cruciform plan with truncated transepts. One fine feature of the chapel is the carved reredos, which has a marble relief panel, which is copied from Da Vinci’s painting of the lest Supper.

Another view of the Royal School.

In the South Aisle are Christian martyrs, St John the Evangelist and a delightful window showing Kings David and Solomon with their musical compositions, the Psalms and the Song of Songs. The fact that all the chapel’s glass comes from the same workshop gives it an overall unity which created a whole greater than the sum of its (individually magnificent) parts. It is a pity that the chapel cannot be seen by a wider public.

There is on the front lawn a large dramatic fountain, which has six carved panels showing Six Acts of Mercy. It was erected as a memorial to Mrs. Rogers.

The Higher Grade School in Newhampton Road East.

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