Bolnhurst School in 1904

The school about 1910 [Z1306/20/1]

Bedfordshire County Council became Local Education Authority for the county in 1903, following the Education Act 1902. In 1904 the CountySurveyor reported on the condition of all the council and voluntary schools in the county under LEA control, excluding those on Bedford and Luton Boroughs which had their own executive arrangements. The surveyor's report [E/SA2/1/1] took the form below.

BOLNHURST COUNCIL SCHOOL

GENERAL WORKS                                    £10/10/0
SANITARY WORKS                                   £1/10/0
HEATING & VENTILATION                        £3/15/0
NEW WORKS                                            £17/10/0

                                                                                    £33/5/0

House

GENERAL WORKS                                    -
SANITARY WORKS                                   -
HEATING & VENTILATION                        -
NEW WORKS                                             -

                                                            TOTAL            £33/5/0

Bolnhurst School and House (Council)

This is a brick built and slated building, the School walls being very shallow

The School Room measures 29 feet 6 inches x 14 feet 9 inches x 8 feet 6 inches walls, 8 feet 0 in open roof

The roof is ceiled and entirely open

Lighting is by three windows, of 3 casement lights each

Ventilation by the centre casement, and a small gable opening

The roof is provided with an air pump

Three Tobin Tubes should be provided

The paper should be stripped off, and the walls colour washed instead, next time renovation is done

Warming, by an open fire, is sufficient

The wood block floor is sound

Lobby

This is commodious and in fair order

Lavatories and drinking water should be provided here

Offices

The Privies are very near to the Southern doorways. They are kept very clean but are none too well ventilated or lighted. These should be converted into dry earth closets.

Coal Barn

This is a very poor, wooden structure, in which the School fuel is separately placed at one end, the house coal heap at the other end.

Water Supply

This is from a rain water tank. The water passes through a filter in its course to the well. The recent raisn appear to have stirred up the Filter, causing the water to be cloudy. A new clean charge should be provided for Filter; dirty filters are a very serious source of contamination to a pure rainfall.

Playground

This is made filthy and dangerous at the West end of School by a deep and wide open ditch; this should be piped as far as necessary, filled in, and the surface properly gravelled.

House

This has two ground floor rooms and two bedrooms over which are in good condition and scrupulously clean.

The Wooden Barn previously noted should be replaced by proper accommodation, and a House Closet of the earth type substituted in place of Privy

A Dry Earth Barn should be provided. Leave this at present.

The Iron Fence is getting rusty, that should be straightened, set up, the rust removed, and twice painted.