Stotfold National Girls School in 1904

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 [ref: E/SA2/1/1] took the form below.

This is brick built, with stone dressings, and slate roof. 

Infants' Main Room - 40ft x 20ft x 13ft 9in to 22ft 3in

The boarded floor is worn thin. 

Lighting is by seven windows (lead lights)

Ventilation by five pivot lights, and three ceiling openings. 

Four Tobin Tubes and an exhaust ventilator should be provided. 

Heating by an 18in Tortoise Stove. 

A framed and part glazed partition shuts this room off from the Girls' Main Room. 

Girls' Main Room - same size as above

Lighting is by four windows. 

Ventilation by four pivot lights, and three ceiling openings. 

Four Tobin Tubes and an Exhaust Ventilator are necessary. 

Heating by a 16in Portway Stove. 

Class Room, South - 19ft x 16ft x 13ft 9in to 22ft 

Lighting by three windows. 

Ventilation by four window openings. 

Three Tobin Tubes and an Exhaust Ventilator should be provided. 

Heating by a 12in. Tortoise Stove. 

N.B. - The wall is damp next to Louvre. The gutter needs looking to. 

Class Room, North - 22ft 6in x 16ft 9in x 11ft to 15ft 3 in

Lighted by three windows. 

Ventilation by four window openings, and one ceiling flapway. 

Three Tobin Tubes and an Exhaust Ventilator should be provided. 

Heating by a No. 2 Tortoise Stove. 

Cloak Room - 24ft x 8ft x 7ft 2in to 11ft 6in 

This is well lighted and ventilated. 

Four lavatory basins and waste to gulley are provided. 

Front Lobby - 12ft 9 in x 5ft 6in

Lighting is good. Two lights should be made to open for ventilation. 

All the Rooms, &c., previously named are in very fair order. 

A Coal Store for School is provided. 

Offices. 

These are very near to the School doors and windows. They are of the pail type, emptied monthly. Needless to say they were exceedingly offensive and dangerous to health. 

These should be entirely removed or provided with dry earth, proper earth closets and urine receptacles. 

Here note the difference in the tending of these Offices and those of the Boys' School. 

The use of dry earth and cleansing twice weekly, should be enforced, so near as this block is to the School doors and windows. 

Playground 

The surface of this needs restoring. 

Fence Walls 

A length of 43ft x 5ft 6in needs rebuilding and the other portion repairing. 

Mistress's House 

This house is in good repair, internally and externally. 

This comprises three Ground Floor rooms, viz: 

13ft x 11ft x 9ft 

12ft 6 in x 11ft 

13ft x 11ft 3in 

Three bedrooms over these. 

Stairway and Landing need light and ventilation. 

Water Supply

Good pump and well water. 

A coal store and barn are provided for House. 

The Ashpit should be abandoned, and a proper sanitary bin provided. 

Closet

This is poorly lighted and ventilated, and should be treated as suggested for School Closets.