Sources for Education in Biddenham

The following list gives all the sources relating to education in Biddenham, including the two senior schools just over the boundary in Bedford, held by Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service. Due to the terms of the Data Protection Act records containing personal details of living individuals will be closed in total, or in part, depending on the nature of the information.

Saint James' Lower School sign March 2012

Biddenham Early Education and Village School

• CRT130Biddenham4: Education in Biddenham to 1850;
• X25/28: Bedfordshire Institute return: c. 1839;
• P74/29/1: certificate of union of the school with the National Society and £10 grant from the society towards building the school premises: 1848;
• Z614/23: subscription to Biddenham Infants’ School: 1849;
• P74/5/1: churchwardens’ accounts show £15 paid towards the school house: 1849;
• SDBiddenham1/1: school logbook: 1873-1910;
• Z50/142/460: photograph of a school class: c. 1896;
• SDBiddenham2/1: admission register: 1900-1973;
• E/SA3/1/2: managers’ and inspector’s reports: 1903;
• E/TE5/3: details of teachers: 1904-1908;
• E/TE5/4: details of teachers: 1908-1912;
• E/IN1/1: school inspectors’ reports: 1910-1935;
• SDBiddenham1/2: school logbook: 1910-1936;
• Z1306/15/1/10: postcard of Main Road showing the school: c. 1910;
• RDBP1/769: plans for a water supply to the playing fields: 1924;
• P74/29/2: details of insurance policies: 1930-1934;
• X536/6 page 22: three photographs: 1934-1951;
• RDBP2/891: plans for toilets: 1936;
• SDBiddenham1/3: school logbook: 1936-1956;
• Z1306/15/1/12: postcard of Main Road showing the school: 1940s-1960s;
• WW2/AR/C/2/106 and 119: use of the school as a civil defence rest centre: 1941;
• P74/29/3: repairs to the school house: 1952-1960;
• SDBiddenham1/4: school logbook: 1956-1974;
• P74/29/3: letting of the school house: 1960-1969;
• CA2/649: acquisition of additional land: 1964-1970;
• CA8/802: school maintenance file: 1966-1982;
• CA2/650: scheme for a new school: 1969-1976;
• P74/29/3: possible sale of the school house: 1970-1971;
• CA8/225: playing field construction: 1971;
• E/TE3/4: return of teaching staff: 1981;
• E/SC1/Gen5-6: details of the school: 1981;
• E/TE3/7: return of teaching staff: 1986;
• E/MS3/2/1: kitchen and other details: c. 1987;
• E/TE2/2/L/13: details of the school: 1987;
• E/Pu4/4/67: school prospectus: 1995.

Saint Gregory's School in 1960 [BorB/J4/51b]

Saint Gregory’s Catholic Middle School

• CCE1262/1-30: deeds of the school site: 1874-1958;
• CA2/45: building contract: 1956-1964;
• BorBJ4/51b: programme for the school opening: 1960;
• BorBJ4/52: order of service for the blessing of the school written in Italian and English: 1960;
• CA2/87: site plans for additional land: 1962-1963;}
• CA7/12: pulsometer chamber and school extension: 1967-1973;
• CA7/13: repairs to cellars to stop flooding: 1973-1974;
• CA8/467: school maintenance file: 1974-1978;
• E/ME7/6/1: headteacher's concern over length of out-of-hours Italian classes: 1976-1984;
• CA8/730: school maintenance file: 1978-1982;
• E/TE3/2: return of teaching staff: 1981;
• E/TE2/2: details of the school: 1982-1986;
• E/SA1/2/1: proposed merger with Saint Bede's VA RC Middle School, Bedford: 1983-1984;
• CC/HS3/3/1: excessively hot science room: 1985-1987;
• E/TE3/7: return of teaching staff: 1986;
• E/MS3/2/2: kitchen and other details: c. 1987;
• CC/HS3/3/1: health and safety matters: 1987;
• E/ME10/2/1: newspaper cutting alleging racism: 1988
• E/Pu4/4/33: school prospectus: 1995;
• Z923/2/15: football in the community scheme at the school: 1996;
• HT13/1/3: photograph of a science laboratory interior: 1996-1997.

John Howard Upper School in 1984 [PY/PH14/1]

John Howard Upper School/Biddenham Upper School/Biddenham International School and Sports Centre

• CCE1262/1-30: deeds of the school site: 1874-1993;
• PY/PH192/3: a volume of photographs: 1973-1977;
• PY/E9/123: acquisition of land for the school campus: 1974-1979;
• X494/64/22: Bedford Labour Party scrapbook with newspaper cutting about the John Howard Upper School site: 1975;
• CA2/626: school buildings file on Italian Library and Cultural Centre: 1976-1977;
• E/TE2/2/U3-4: details of the school: 1977-1978;
• Z979/3: public meeting by Confederation for the Advancement of State Education at the school: 1979;
• PY/E2/2/107: tenancy of the caretaker's bungalow: 1979;
• PY/PH174/1: slides of the exterior: c. 1980;
• E/ME6/1/5: application for Section 11 funding for multicultural education: 1980s;
• PY/E2/2/108: tenancy of the assistant caretaker's bungalow: 1981-1982;
• X819/12/1: letter objecting to a child being allocated a place at the school: 1981;
• E/TE3/2: return of teaching staff: 1981;
• E/PM3/2/4: information on Travellers’ children at the school: 1982-1987;
• E/SC3/B-JH10: recommendation that the school should be closed: 1983;
• X494/33/11: Bedford Labour Party scrapbook item detailing the vote by Conservative and Liberal councillors to close the school: 1983;
• X494/44/4: Bedford Labour Party scrapbook with an item on children from Biddenham being sent to Wootton Upper School in order to avoid going to John Howard: 1983;
• PY/PH14/1: photographs of the exterior: 1984;
• E/SC3/Gen6: press notice announcing the school would not be closed: 1984;
• X494/33/12: Bedford Labour Party scrapbook item regarding the closure of the school: 1984;
• BPG3/1/96: oblique aerial photograph: 1985;
• E/CU3/13/5: record of expectations for pre-vocational courses: 1985;
• E/YM1/4/13: outline of the job of the Youth Worker at the school: 1986;
• E/TE3/7: return of teaching staff: 1986;
• E/SC3/B-JH9: notes on a public meeting on the future of the school: 1986;
• E/CU4/5/4: drama residency by SNAP People’s Theatre Trust: 1986;
• E/CU4/5/4: artist’s residency by stained glass worker Latifatu Omiogun: 1986;
• E/MS3/2/2: kitchen and other details: c. 1987;
• BP64/5/1: photograph: c. 1987;
• SGM59/1: school governors’ minutes: 1987-1988;
• SGM59/2: petition to open the new Biddenham Upper School on the Pilgrim Upper School site: 1988;
• SGM59/3: notice that parents would not send their children to the new Biddenham Upper School: 1988;
• SGM59/4: small booklet about the school: 1988;
• E/ME3/2/1: brief notes of home-school links with ethnic minorities: 1988;
• E/ME7/1/1: brief report on multicultural education: 1988-1990;
• E/Pu4/4/191: school prospectus: 1995.