Clapham School in 1904

 
Clapham School in 1879 [X907/1]

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.

CLAPHAM SCHOOL AND HOUSE (PAROCHIAL)

These premises are well built, airy, light, and well ventilated, very bright and clean, in excellent order and general repair. These remarks apply to the House and Offices of both blocks, both internally and externally generally.

Offices

These are worked upon Moule’s Earth System, the valves operating in a corridor at the rear of Closets. This is daily attended to by a boy after afternoon School; the work of only a few minutes at most.

The Earth Closet is exemplified here as a perfect deodoriser, extremely simple, and thoroughly effective.

Here the Earth system can be seen doing effective work without the possibility of any tampering by the children, or waste of dry earth, or ash, as the case may be.

These premises reflect the highest praise on Canon Haddock, and Managers, also the Head Mistress.

The School Rooms measure as follows: -

42 feet by 19 feet by 12 feet to 14 feet.
37 feet by 16 feet by 12 feet
18 feet by 16 feet by 12 feet

Three Cloak Rooms, viz: -

11ftx by 6 feet
12 feet by 6 feet
12 feet by 7 feet

Lavatory basins are provided in these.

Water Supply

This is taken from a Pump in yard.

House

This is well-built and convenient, and comprises:-
Ground floor parlour 13 feet by 11 feet by 8 feet 6 inches
Kitchen 13 feet by 11 feet by 8 feet 6 inches
Scullery 9 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet
Chamber floor rooms: - 13 feet by 11 feet by 9 feet 2 inches
13 feet by 11 feet by 9 feet 2 inches
12 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 9 inches by 8 feet