Marstone Morteyne School

Marston Moreteyne School in 1980 [Z50/76/9] 

Marston Moreteyne School was created as Marston and Lidlington National Boys School in 1847. A deed held by Beds Archives [SDMarstonMoretaine1] documents the conveyance of a piece of land at Church End for £5 on 1 February 1847. The site was earmarked for the National School "for the Education of Children and adults or Children only of the labouring, manufacturing and other poorer classes ... of Marston Moretaine". It gives brief details about the running of the school and states: "The Committee shall annually select from among its members one to act as Secretary who shall keep minutes of the proceedings ... And the said Committee of management shall have power from time to time to select and appoint a Committee of not more than five ladies being members of the Church of England to assist them in the visitation of the Girls and Infant School ..." 

Plans of Marston Moretaine & Lidlington National School, elevation, 1846 [AD3865/29/3] 

The National Boys School became a mixed school in 1861, Church End Board School in 1875, a Council School in 1903, a County Primary in 1946 and a Lower School when the comprehensive system was introduced in Bedfordshire in the 1970s.  

The Old Village School Nursing Home, October 2014 

At the time of writing (2020) Marston Moreteyne School is a voluntarily controlled lower school under the Diocese of St. Albans, operating from a modern site in Church Walk and a second site in Forest End at Marston Park. The original school buildings in Woburn Road are now The Old Village School Nursing Home.  

References 

• AD3865/29 MARSTON MORETAINE "& LIDLINGTON": National School Architect Jas. Tacy Wing, Bedford, 1846 
• BTNegPostA5233: School head Mr [?] retires. Marston - 8 views. 16 July 1976 
• CA2/258 (P391), 1964-1974 
• CA2/871 Marston Moretaine Lower School: construction of 20 place nursery unit (P.701; E/M10/P4), 1974-1981 
• E/IN1/1: School Inspections Book, 1912-1934, page 101 
• E/MS2/1/1: Returns from schools giving numbers of pupils likely to use “mini” meals, sandwich bars and service of beverages; readiness of the school to implement any of these three services; preference for which service to introduce, includes Church End Lower School, Marston Moretaine, [1980] 
• E/MS3/2/2 County Secretary’s Department Central Purchasing Unit school and welfare catering site specifications, North Area C, Church End Lower School and Shelton Lower School, Marston Moretaine, c.1987 
• E/PM6/2/1: Returns from schools which did not use corporal punishment prior to an Education Committee resolution of 1984 against the practice, Church End Lower School and Shelton Lower School, Marston Moretaine, 1986 
• E/SA1/4/4: File on consultations regarding the comprehensive reorganisation of schools in Area 3 (West Central Bedfordshire), possible plans for Marston Moretaine, specifically whether Church End County Primary School should be in the same reorganisation Area and catchment area as Shelton County Primary School [1969] 
• E/SA2/1/3: Education Buildings Cleaning Contract, including site plans and measurements of individual school buildings, 1991 
• E/SA3/1/1: Tabulated monthly return under the Factory and Workshop Act 1878, Apr - Sep 1879 
• E/SC1/Gen/5 :Appendix to Report of Small Schools Working Party, the appendix gives details of all Lower Schools with an estimated roll of 39 or less throughout the period April 1982 - April 1985 and proposed transfers of pupils - Marston Shelton to Church End, Marston Moretaine, Nov 1981 
• E/TE3/4: Northern Area Lower Schools, Church End and Shelton, Marston Moretaine, Summer 1981 
• E/TE3/7: Northern Area Schools, Lower Schools: Church End and Shelton, Marston Moretaine, Autumn 1986 
• E/TE5/1 and 2 Register of Elementary Teachers (Council Schools), 1904 – 1908 and 1908 - 1912 
• P41/0/3: Commonplace Book containing notes of the Parish its rectors etc. by the Rev. A.F. Torry, Rector 1893, and his successors. Includes Church End School, page 218, 1847 
• P41/29: Marson Moretaine Parish Records, Schools (Sunday, National Charity or Board) 
• PCMarstonMoretaine14/2: Comments on footpaths 1-19 (Marston Moretaine) covering note from S.B. Fisher, Marston County Primary School, 19 Feb 1951 
• SDMarstonMoretaine Records of Marston Moretaine School [National Boys, Church End Board, Council, CP, Lower] 
• SMM13: School Managers’ records, Marston Moretaine, including Church End, Shelton, Marston and Lidlington, 1903-1937 
• SMM20: School Managers’ records, Stewartby, including Marston, Shelton, Marston Moretaine and Lidlington, 1937-1986 
• X881/7/C31/1: Demonstration regarding lack of space in Church End Lower School, Marston Moretaine, outside County Hall, Bedford. Picture of parents and children with placards demonstrating outside County Hall, campaigning for an extension to Church End Lower School. c. 1997 
• Z50/76/8-11: Photographs of Marston School and School House (exterior views), 1980