Wootton Junior Mixed School in 1904

West elevation of Wootton Junior Mixed School about 1875 [SB58/9]

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

WOOTTON COUNCIL SCHOOL (MIXED)

GENERAL WORKS            £38/9/1
SANITARY WORKS            £25
HEATING & VENTILATION  £22/19/-
NEW WORKS                     £70
                                           £156/8/1

House

GENERAL WORKS                £16/2/3
SANITARY WORKS                     -
HEATING & VENTILATION           -
NEW WORKS                              -
                                               £16/2/3

TOTAL £173/0/4

Wootton School and House (Council)

These are a block of brick and tiled buildings with stone dressings, of substantial construction, and well planned.

Main Room 54 feet by 20 feet by 14 feet to 19 feet

Lighting is by nine windows, and two circular gable lights.

Ventilation by all above lights and ceiling openings.

The double hung sashes should have each of the bottom sashes blocked up 3 inches to admit air by the meeting rails, which would effectively supply fresh air. Two Exhaust Ventilators should also be provided and fixed in roof.

Heating is by two Tortoise Stoves. A guard should be provided, also protection to desk.

Class Room 25 feet by 16 feet by 14 feet to 19 feet

Lighting by four windows as above.

Ventilation as above. The sashes should be adapted as above suggested, and an Exhaust Ventilator provided.

Heating by a Tortoise Stove.

The above rooms need general repairs to floors, walls, ceilings, doors and windows, also cleaning, whitening, colouring, painting, and varnishing, fastenings making good, and new blinds providing.

Front Open Porch 10 feet by 8 feet.

The balusters need repairing and restoring and new steps providing where worn deeply to all School doorways.

All the other part needs restoring and renewing.

Lobby Next Last Named 9 feet 9 inches by 5 feet by 7 feet 3 inches to 9 feet 7 inches.

This is lighted and ventilated by sash windows. It is much too small.

N. B. – This should be made 16 feet by 9 feet 9 inches and lavatory basins and a water supply provided.

Girls’ Cloak Room

The girls also need a proper Cloak Room. The Playground is now enclosed with match boarding to form this. A proper front, with 3 windows to open, is necessary. This should be carried up in brickwork, coloured and whitened, and the floor made good with new local tiles.

Offices

These are a good block of buildings, built with all the necessary conveniences for the Dry Earth System but not cared for. I found the boys’ receptacles very foul, and no earth supplied. Here is a proper hot plate, flue and furnace, and house for efficient working, not used. A large heap of heavy soil lies at the rear, into which the receptacles appear to be emptied, without due care. Most of the large heap of earth is too heavy and unsuitable for the proper working of the valves and hopper apparatus.

Three loads of light, suitable loam, if kept in a good, dry, airy shed could be used here continuously as at Maulden.

All these need repairs, cleansing, and whitening.

School Yard

This should be repaired, and two drain gates provided to intercept the surface water, which now cuts deep gullies on these premises and the public highway.

Water Supply

This is by a lift pump to cistern for House and School lavatories [as in places to wash rather than toilets]; the latter have been cut off.

Here we have two essential provisions for health and comfort insufficiently cared for, viz lavatories and closets.

House

This is a good home, comprising:

Porch 8 feet by 5 feet.
Hall and stairway 12 feet by 6 feet by 8 feet 6 inches.
Front Room 12 feet by 12 feet.
Kitchen 11 feet by 6 feet 10 inches.
Scullery 12 feet by 9 feet.
Pantry 12 feet by 6 feet 5 inches.
Four Bedrooms over these.

Most part of House and Offices needs generally repairing, cleansing, whitening, painting and papering.

Fence Walling and Gates

These should be repaired where necessary.

Outside Painting

This will go another year.