Front elevation of the school extension in 1870 [AD3865/17/5]

The Education Act 1902, which came into force in 1903, established Bedfordshire County Council as the Local Education Authority for the county. The new LEA set out to determine the condition of its school buildings and the County Surveyor made his report in 1904. The report for Great Barford Council School was exactly as set out below.

Great Barford School and House 

These buildings are brick built and tiled, with stone dressings to windows, doors etc.

The two rooms are lofty and fairly airy; the rear offices are very poor. The School, Offices and House need considerable repair, cleansing and renewing, and are open to better provisions than now exist.

Main Room 53 feet 6 inches by 20 feet by 15 feet 6 inches to 20 feet.

Windows - End or gable, 8 feet by 8 feet 6 inches over all.
Four side windows, 8 feet 6 inches by 4 feet. These are shallow; the transom lights should all be made to open.

Five ceiling vents; these are closed.

Three open fireplaces.

Seven Tobin Tubes and two Exhausts are needed.

Floor chiefly badly worn; about 12 feet length has been restored, the rest needs restoring.

This room needs entire renovation.

Class Room 32 feet by 16 feet by 15 feet 6 inches to 20 feet.

This is lighted by gable window 8 feet 6 inches by 5 feet 9 inches over all, two side windows 6 feet by 3 feet 6 inches; six lights open, ceiling has two pivot air vents.

Warmed by open fireplace.

This room needs repairs, cleansing and all parts renovating; also six Tobin Tubes and one Exhaust Ventilator.

The floor is good.

Front Lobby and Cloak Room

12 feet by 5 feet by 9 feet to 12 feet 6 inches.

This needs renewing. More window light and air is also needed.

Front Open Lobby, next House. 6 feet by 4 feet 4 inches by 10 feet.

The door needs repairing and renovating.

Back Lobbies.

These are very poor, badly lighted and ventilated. They need reconstructing, and should be provided with lavatories.

The present size Boys' and Girls' lobbies are:

11 feet 3 inches by 4 feet 10 inches by 8 feet.
5 feet 3 inches by 3 feet 6 inches by 8 feet.

Offices.

These are very peculiar being all iron erections. They are of the pail type, the risers being hinged and locked. No provision for dry earth or ashes being made, they are very foul. No windows are provided. These places are dark and most repellent. The roof should be raised, light and air provided, and earth apparatus fitted, and the ironwork painted stone colour, and the walls twice whitened. The receptacles are too large, consequently stand too long before being emptied. They become very offensive.

These erections are a little way from the cloak rooms, and the division of the yards is most peculiar, rendering them almost useless. A rearrangement and reconstruction of the whole rear premises is most advisable.

Water Supply.

There is no water on these premises, it all has to be fetched from the next property.

A Barn for School coal is provided.

House 

This has three ground floor rooms and hall, with pantry and coal store; also three bedrooms over: - 

Sitting Room 12 feet by 12 feet by 8 feet.
Kitchen 12 feet by 10 feet by 8 feet.
Scullery 12 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet.
Hall and Stairway 10 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet.

The ground floor walls are very damp. The skirting, floor and paper is seriously damaged.

The brick floor to the Kitchen is very damp. This should be concreted and boarded.

A damp course should be put to all outer walls, and decayed wood and other work restored.

The house is most unwholesome. The kitchen range and other gates are very poor. The house needs entirely repairing and renovating.

The porch has bad settlement fractures.

House Barn and Privy

These are much out of repair, as is also the ash-pit; this is too near the house and much too large.

An earth Closet should be provided here, as the Midden is very offensive.

The Yard needs paving and Drain restoring.

A Well and a good Soft Water Tank should be provided for these premises.

External Repairs are needed to all the buildings; also painting thereto. The fences and gates need restoring.

A piece of new fence is needed where hedge is poor.