Toddington Church of England School in 1904

 
The National Schools about 1900 [Z1306/126]

Bedfordshire County Council became Local Education Authority for the county in 1903, following the Education Act 1902. In 1904 the County Surveyor 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 for the Church of England School [E/SA2/1/1] took the form below.

TODDINGTON SCHOOL AND HOUSE
(NATIONAL)

These are brick and slated buildings

General Room. – 54 feet 0 inches x 18 feet 0 inches x 12 feet 0 inches and 6 feet 0 inches in roof.
This room needs general repairs, also cleaning and renovation.
Lighting is by five windows; portions open in each.
Ventilation by windows only.
Five Tobin Tubes and an Exhaust Ventilator should be provided.
Heating is by two open fires. The gates need repairing and restoring.
The floor is worn.

Transverse Room. – 54 feet 0 inches x 18 feet 0 inches x 12 feet 0 inches to 18 feet 0 inches
Lighting is by four, three light, windows; portions of each opening.
Ventilation by opening windows only.
Heating is by open fireplaces, which need making good.
This room is sub-divided by framed partitions to form Class rooms.
The remarks re repairs, ventilations, etc., for above room apply to this.

Class Room off General School (North Side)
18 feet 0 inches x 14 feet 0 inches x 13 feet 0 inches

Class Rooms, West of last named -
17 feet 6 inches x 14 feet 0 inches x 13 feet 0 inches to 17 feet 6 inches
These are each lighted by a large three-light window, part opening; and warmed by an open fireplace.
Ventilation is by window openings only.
The two rooms together need eight Tobin Tubes and two Exhaust Ventilators.
Renewal, as above, is also necessary

North Lobby, off Road 14 feet 0 inches x 4 feet 6 inches

West Lobby, off Infants' Room 11 feet 4 inches x 8 feet 0 inches

East Lobby, off Infants' Room 4 feet 0 inches x 4 feet 0 inches

These all need repairs. They are very poor accommodation, and very small. No Lavatories or Pump are provided here.

Offices
These privies are very foul. They are situate at the top side of the yard, and are connected to a dumb well by an inclined floor, which cannot possibly be kept clean. Proper Earth Pail Closets should be provided here, also Urinal dry earth vessel and the necessary dry earth and renewing house.

External Repairs and Painting
External repairs are necessary to the whole premises, viz.: walling, roofs, copings, verges, gutters, gables, chimneys, jambs, quoins, lintels, arches, floor pavings and fences, including two and three coats of painting to wood and ironwork.

Internally All doors, windows and fastenings need making good, and leaving in good working order.

House

The Master's House is one room deep, facing North, and the Main Road, and backing the general Schoolroom

It has three rooms on the ground floor, viz.: -

Parlour 17 feet 0 inches by 11 feet 6 inches
Sitting Room 17 feet 0 inches x 10 feet 0 inches
Scullery 17 feet 0 inches x 8 feet 6 inches
Stairway and Entrance 17 feet 0 inches x 3 feet 6 inches

The Chamber Floor has three bedrooms, viz.: -

17 feet 0 inches x 11 feet 6 inches
11 feet 0 inches x 10 feet 0 inches
17 feet 0 inches x 8 feet 6 inches

The Front Room and Bedrooms are in fair condition. The Living Room and Scullery need renovating.

Privy

This is very offensive, and too near the School windows. It should be cleared away, the ground disinfected, and a new Earth Pail Closet provided.

A dry earth shed should be provided to supply the Closets.

Drains

These appear to be in working order.

Coal Barns are provided for School and House.

Water Supply

This is obtained by pump in Scullery

N. B. – Mending, repairing, colouring and painting repairs only, have been done since these particulars were taken.

The house is now provided with a pail closet removed from School windows.

The School offices have not been improved.

Ventilation etc. to rooms not yet provided.