A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1986.
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A P Baggs, C R J Currie, C R Elrington, S M Keeling, A M Rowland, 'West Grinstead: Education', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham, ed. T P Hudson( London, 1986), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt2/pp104-105 [accessed 17 November 2024].
A P Baggs, C R J Currie, C R Elrington, S M Keeling, A M Rowland, 'West Grinstead: Education', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham. Edited by T P Hudson( London, 1986), British History Online, accessed November 17, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt2/pp104-105.
A P Baggs, C R J Currie, C R Elrington, S M Keeling, A M Rowland. "West Grinstead: Education". A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham. Ed. T P Hudson(London, 1986), , British History Online. Web. 17 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt2/pp104-105.
EDUCATION.
The assistant curate taught pupils in 1579, (fn. 1) and another teacher was licensed in 1585. (fn. 2) A later curate, Samuel Dowlen, by will dated 1644 left money which was applied to the schooling of poor children until 1819 or later. (fn. 3) Between 1698 and 1730 the income was paid to individual parishioners for teaching, but it is not clear whether any of them ran schools properly speaking. (fn. 4) The income was no longer being received in 1867. (fn. 5) There was a dame school for Roman Catholic children kept by the same schoolmistress in 1727 and 1754; at the latter date she was receiving a salary from the Carylls. (fn. 6) There was a room called the schoolroom in the parish workhouse in 1794, but it was apparently not then used for teaching; (fn. 7) in 1833, however, workhouse children were taught reading. (fn. 8)
A school for c. 70 children existed in 1819, possibly in the building north-east of Glebe Cottage which was later the National school; it was supported by the rector and by the lord of the manor Walter Burrell, but was said to be insufficient for parish needs. (fn. 9) It survived in 1835, when there were 25 pupils of each sex. At the same date there were three other schools in the parish with 90 pupils between them; all had been started in 1829 and one took boarders. There was also then a dissenting Sunday school where 9 boys and 16 girls were taught free. (fn. 10) In 1846-7 there was a National school with 116 boys and 101 girls, besides three dame schools, one of them at Honey Bridge, with a total of 23 boys and 51 girls. (fn. 11) There were still three dame schools in 1867, with an aggregate attendance of 50 or 60 children. (fn. 12) A ladies' day and boarding school, also called a seminary, existed between 1852 and 1878. (fn. 13)
The National school was receiving an annual grant by 1864. (fn. 14) In 1867 it was chiefly supported by the rector; attendance was very irregular but averaged 60 or 70. (fn. 15) After 1870 government requirements made a new building necessary, and the school was moved to Jolesfield common. (fn. 16) The old schoolhouse remained in use as a Sunday school until 1896 or later. (fn. 17)
A school at Dial Post is said to have been built in 1864. (fn. 18) In 1870, when it was a church school, it took boys, girls and infants. The school building, by the road to Shipley, was then apparently rented from the Burrell family, (fn. 19) as it continued to be later. (fn. 20) There were 58 pupils in 1873. (fn. 21) Average attendance was 43 in 1895 and 53 in 1910. (fn. 22) In 1927 it was 41, declining by 1938 to 31. (fn. 23) The school was closed in 1966 and later demolished, the 16 remaining pupils being transferred to Shipley C.E. school. (fn. 24)
A site for a new school and teacher's house at Jolesfield common was provided by Sir Percy Burrell in 1870, and the school, later to be called Jolesfield C.E. (Controlled) primary school, was opened in 1873 for boys, girls, and infants. (fn. 25) Average attendance was 73 in 1875-6, rising to 107 in 1890-1 and 156 in 1903-4. (fn. 26) It later declined to 120 in 1938. (fn. 27) In 1966 there were 123 on the roll, (fn. 28) but with much residential development at Partridge Green the number had increased by 1982 to 254. (fn. 29) A new school building in Littleworth Lane was opened c. 1970; the old building was afterwards used for junior classes, (fn. 30) but by 1983 had been sold.
A Roman Catholic primary school was opened in 1863. Originally it occupied a stable belonging to Priest's House and had only eight pupils; (fn. 31) in 1867 there were still fewer than 12. (fn. 32) A new schoolroom attached to Priest's House was fitted up to comply with the requirements of the Education Act, 1870, (fn. 33) and was in turn replaced before 1875 by a detached building between the church and the convent. (fn. 34) In 1881 costs were met by school pence, Mgr. Denis making up the deficiency. (fn. 35) Average attendance was 19 in 1875-6; attendance figures recorded later, of 120 in 1885-6, (fn. 36) 162, including infants, in 1919, and 111 in 1932, evidently include orphans in the orphanage. The school was closed before 1938. (fn. 37)
During the 20th century the older children of the parish have gone to schools in Horsham, Steyning, Billingshurst, and Crawley. (fn. 38)