106 documents, both printed and manuscript, relating to Kemble Parochial School, Gloucestershire, from 1870 to 1903, comprising inspectors' reports, registers, schedules, notices, government circulars. With manuscript index.

A rare collection of material, comprising the records of a Victorian parochial school, including registers, reports and government Education Department circulars on a range of subjects. Initial reports by H. M. Inspectors are addressed to Rev. R. H. Taylor, Kemble Vicarage, Cirencester, but by the end of the series the entire system has been reorganised, with the addressee now the Clerk to the School Board, Kemble. The manuscript index to the folder lists 128 numbered documents, but 29 are lacking, and an additional seven unnumbered items bring the actual number to 106. The larger part are foolscap 8vo bifoliums; with around eight items are in 12mo. The collection is aged and worn, with the majority of items in fair condition, and a few items having suffered some loss from chipping and wear. The school is a small one: the first 'examination schedule', 30 April 1876, gives the examination results for 45 children, but within five years the number has almost doubled. The first annual report, dated 5 October 1872, in manuscript, sent by F. R. Sandford to Rev. R. H. Taylor of Kemble, gives a good idea of the school's resources: 'This is an average country School, carried on at present in rather inadequate premises, but a new and handsome school-room and teacher's residence have just been erected, and are very nearly ready for occupation. The mistress [Miss Emilie Hopkinson] is a successful disciplinarian, has much natural aptitude for teaching, and is fully justified in seeking to be admitted to the examination for certificates.' In 1888 'a very considerable improvement' is noted, 'and this is the more creditable to Miss Reed [the new teacher Elizabeth Reed] because of her recent indisposition', but by the following year 'some falling off in results' is reported, in part attributed to 'Some personal trouble and anxiety of Mrs. Reed'. Subjects include: building instructions, inspectors' reports (several lacking), schedules, school registers, circulars (including one from 1875 on 'Stone Throwing at Telegraph Wires'), bye laws, regulations, examination results.