Greenford: Schools

SCHOOLS.

In 1780 Edward Betham, rector 1770- 83, built a school-house in Greenford and endowed the school with the land on which it was built, and with £1,600 bank stock, later increased to £2,000. The school was intended to serve Great Greenford, Northolt, Hanwell, and Perivale. A minimum number of 30 pupils was provided for, of which two-thirds were to come from Greenford, and with any increase of numbers the relative proportion was to be maintained. The children were to be clothed at the expense of the foundation and a system of monetary rewards for good behaviour and progress was instituted. The schoolmaster was to be a married, lay member of the Church of England, and was to receive a salary of £30. He could also accept a few fee-paying pupils from Greenford only, who were to be taught with the free children. (fn. 1)

The administration of the school and the selection of the master was in the hands of the three trustees or managers. They were supposed to meet once a year, but by the mid-19th century they were meeting at least three times. They never carried into effect the system laid down by Betham of rewards of silver threepenny pieces and groats, but occasionally they gave a present to a child on leaving school, and in 1786 they 'agreed in consideration of the remarkably good behaviour of the children to make them a present of 6d. each'. (fn. 2) In 1822 it had been the custom 'for a considerable length of time' to give a dinner every spring to the children and old people, at the expense of the foundation. The endowment of the school was under the control of the trustees, and in 1807 some 3 acres were purchased. (fn. 3) These were sold early in the 20th century. (fn. 4)

In 1820 the school was affiliated to the National Society, (fn. 5) and by 1823 the buildings consisted of two classrooms, the master's house, and a room for the trustees' meetings. (fn. 6) During the 19th century there were repeated proposals for new classrooms, (fn. 7) but the school was not replaced until 1878, when a new building was erected a little farther south. (fn. 8) In 1927-8 the buildings were enlarged and improved. During the Second World War the school was requisitioned for civil defence, (fn. 9) but it reverted to the school authorities after the war and in 1959 the buildings of 1878 were still in use as a mixed primary school with 192 pupils. (fn. 10) In 1959 the original building was used as a private house. It had two stories with a cement-rendered front and a Latin inscription commemorating the foundation.

There is a tradition that Samuel Glasse, D.D., rector of Hanwell and Wanstead (Essex), kept a school at Greenford after he left Hanwell in 1785. (fn. 11) He certainly seems to have lived in Greenford, where he leased both lands of Stickleton manor and the glebe, (fn. 12) and he is known to have had at least one private pupil, (fn. 13) but there is no particular reason to believe that he kept a regular school. Betham's School was the only one in existence in 1819 and 1833, (fn. 14) but there was a dame school with 12 pupils in 1843, (fn. 15) and more private schools appeared in the early 20th century. (fn. 16) There were no independent schools in 1959. (fn. 17)

Greenford came under the Ealing local education authority in 1926, and between 1928 and 1940 the authority was responsible for building eight schools in the parish. Of these Coston (opened 1928, enlarged 1931), Stanhope (opened 1930), Horsenden (1931), Selborne (1935), Ravenor (1935), and Oldfields (1940) were all primary schools in 1959, with 2,138 pupils between them. At that date the county secondary modern schools had 1,896 pupils, and comprised Stanhope (boys, opened 1932), Horsenden and Selborne (both boys, opened 1935), and Coston (girls, 1938). The Roman Catholic School was built in 1939 but not opened until 1946. It had 408 pupils in 1959. The Cardinal Wiseman Secondary Modern School was opened in 1959, and had about 330 pupils at the end of the year. (fn. 18) The Greenford County Grammar School in Ruislip Road does not lie in the old parish of Greenford.

Since 1952 there have been evening institutes at Stanhope, Coston, and Horsenden schools, and the Ealing Technical College had an annex at the Stanhope School from 1950 to 1957. (fn. 19)