There are no references to education in Saint John's before the short series of episcopal visitations held by Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service beginning in 1706.
Early 18th Century Episcopal Visitations
Volume 81 published by Bedfordshire Historical Records Society (2002) is a series of episcopal visitations undertaken in the first twenty years of the 18th century, edited by former County Archivist Patricia Bell. At each visitation a list of questions was sent out in advance, one of which enquired about the provision of schools in each parish. The various replies for Bedford, Saint John are as follows:
- 1709: No public, or Charitie Schole;
- 1717; Schools We have none;
- 1720: Here is no Publick or charity School.
1818 Select Committee Questionnaire
In 1818 a Select Committee was established to enquire into educational provision for the poor. This was no doubt prompted, in part, by the recent foundation of two societies promoting education and specifically the building of schools. The Society for Promoting the Lancasterian System for the Education of the Poor was established in 1808 promoting schools run along the lines pioneered by Joseph Lancaster, who had himself copied those of Dr.Andrew Bell, in which older children taught their younger fellows. The Society was renamed the British and Foreign School Society in 1814,. It was supported by a number of prominent nonconformists, Lancaster himself was a Quaker, and sought to teach a non-sectarian curriculum. In answer to this perceived nonconformist takeover of local education the National Society was firmed in 1811 to encourage the teaching of poor children along Anglican lines, including the catechism. The Select Committee sent a questionnaire to all parishes in the country asking for: particulars relating to endowments for the education of children; other educational institutions; observations of parish needs etc. In those days a Sunday School was just that, a school which met on a Sunday, usually in the church or nonconformist chapel or other similar building, teaching more than the religious topics with which they are associated today.
The return for Saint John simply noted the Harpur Trust schools in the parish of Bedford, Saint Paul.
1833 Questionnaire
In the country generally the number of schools built continued to grow over the next fifteen years so that by 1833 the government agreed to supplement the work of the two societies, and local benefactors, by making £20,000 per annum available in grants to help build schools. It also prompted another questionnaire to be sent to each parish in England asking for details of local educational provision. The return for Saint John's stated: "One Daily School, in which 12 young children are instructed at the expense of their parents. One Sunday School, jointly with the parish of St. Mary, where the school is situate, and the whole number of children returned".
Church School Enquiry 1846/7
The next national enquiry was in 1846/7 when the Church of England made an enquiry as to all its church schools. This was against the background of a new Whig government which championed secular education and the increasing importance of nonconformists, particularly Wesleyan Methodist, and Roman Catholics in providing schools. The response from Saint John's was to indicate that there was a Sunday school of 26 boys and 29 girls.