The Curriculum in 1851

	Middle Street School, 1905

In 1851 the school formed 'Classes for Superior Instruction'. While charitable contributions still covered the costs of those 'unable to provide for themselves', wealthier parents could purchase more advanced classes for their children.

The schemes of work under this development were as follows

Boys School:

The First Class of instruction includes Spelling, Reading from boards, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, Outlines of Geography, English History, and Singing. Terms, as at present, Twopence per week.

	Class 3, 1909, Middle Street School

The Second Class includes all the subjects of the First class carried further; also Ancient and Modern History, Sciences and Useful Arts, Natural History, rudiments of Drawing and Singing by notes. Terms, Fourpence a week.

The Third Class includes all the Second class carried still further; also Mental Arithmetic, Book-keeping and Mercantile Correspondence, English Composition, rudiments of Mathematics, Physical and Scriptural Geography, Geometry, Mechanics and Mapping. Terms, Sixpence per week.

	Middle Street School embroidered arithmetic, 1844

Girls School:

The First Class includes Spelling, Reading from boards, Writing on slates, Arithmetic, Outlines of Geography and English History, Plain Needlework and Singing. Terms at present, Three-Halfpence per week.

The Second Class includes all the subjects of the First Class carried further; also Ancient and Modern History, Mental Arithmetic, Physical and Scriptural Geography, Singing by notes and Knitting. Terms. Threepence a week.

Timeline 1805 - 1905

1805 Union Charity School founded by Edward Goff School committee drawn from three churches:- Countess of Huntingdon Baptist and Union Street Chapel. Lancaster-Bell monitorial system adopted.

1808 Girls School established.

1812 Quakers join the committee. Subscribers could nominate pupils.

1818 Prince Regent becomes a subscriber.

1821 Charity dropped fees charged.

1837 Government gives financial assistance £250.

1840 Queen Victoria agrees to continue the Royal subscription.

1861 Infants School opened.

1862 Committee for the Boys School agree to them being inspected by Inspectors of Privy Council on Education with a grant of receiving Government Aid. A good report was given and a grant of £21.6s.1d was made.

1870 Boys and Girls Schools inspected good reports. Grant of £65.11s.7d. First Pupil teachers at the school.

1874 School taken over by the School Board. Middle Street Board School.

1875 New Infants School.

1891 Fees no longer charged.

1896 School remodelled as per today. Sixty children in each of three lower rooms and seventy in the other.

20th Century Learning

Ex Middle Street School pupil Peter Guy talks about where he used to sit in class

	Ex pupil Peter Guy, 2005

" Well we all, it's different, totally different to today. Each classroom had desks, rows of desks. Each desk belonged to somebody, and all your books were in your desk, so you didn't have to go taking them around the school with you in big bags or anything like that. That's where they were. "

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Ex Middle Street School pupil Sheila Dyer talks about using ink pens

	Ex pupil Sheila Dyer, 2005

" I do remember that we had ink pens though, and quite often we'd make big blotches on the paper because it was difficult. I was left handed and when your'e left handed, your hand goes over the piece you have just written. Sometimes I found it very difficult not to smudge the work that I had done. "

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