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A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 9, Chesterton, Northstowe, and Papworth Hundreds. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1989.
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Education
The village had no school before 1800. (fn. 1) By 1807 a curate had organized a Sunday school. (fn. 2) Still open in 1818, when C. M. Cheere paid for children to learn to read, (fn. 3) it had c. 20 pupils in 1833. (fn. 4) By 1836 an infant day school had also been started. (fn. 5) In 1843 W. H. Cheere built on his own land north of Church Lane a grey-brick thatched school and teacher's house, (fn. 6) used for a church day school by 1846. The Cheeres maintained the building and paid the teacher, (fn. 7) usually their gardener's wife. In the mid 19th century there were c. 20 pupils, by 1871 over 30. (fn. 8) Actual attendance in 1873 and 1885, when an evening school was also held, was under 20, (fn. 9) rising to 30 in the 1890s. (fn. 10) In 1897 the school was still managed by the rector and supported by subscriptions. (fn. 11)
The building had room for only 39 children and in 1900 E. T. Hooley built a new one for 110, (fn. 12) which the county council bought in 1912. (fn. 13) Attendance fell below c. 20 after 1914 (fn. 14) but recovered to over 70 from the mid 1920s. (fn. 15) By 1950 the school was overcrowded (fn. 16) but rebuilding was repeatedly postponed. From 1951 the older children went to Gamlingay school, after 1958 to Swavesey village college. (fn. 17) Papworth Everard primary school, with 40-50 pupils in the 1970s, (fn. 18) was still open in 1982.