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A History of the County of Essex: Volume 10, Lexden Hundred (Part) Including Dedham, Earls Colne and Wivenhoe. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 2001.
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EDUCATION
The clergyman, presumably John Clarryvince, started a Sunday School in 1830; it was attended by 20 boys and 16 girls in 1835, but by only 24 children on census Sunday 1851. (fn. 1) There was no school in the parish until 1871 when a National school for 73 children was built on part of the glebe in Chappel Street; in 1875 it had an average attend- ance of 45. (fn. 2) Attendance peaked at 80 in 1890-1, then fell to 50-60 in the 1890s. (fn. 3) The infants' classroom was enlarged in 1897, providing accommodation for a total of 89 children. (fn. 4) There was an evening school, attended by 26, in 1896 and 1897. (fn. 5) The difficulties of the vicar, A. Werninck, in 1897 led parishioners to refuse to pay the school rate or to elect school managers. In 1901 Werninck, claiming that the land and buildings were still part of the glebe, locked teacher and pupils out of the school for a week. Under pressure from the bishop, Werninck re-opened the school, but the teacher resigned. (fn. 6) Average attendance in 1906 was 59. (fn. 7)
Under the 1902 Education Act the school, which remained Church of England, became a non-provided school. It continued to teach chil- dren up to the age of 14 until 1949 when it was reorganized as a primary school and granted Controlled status. (fn. 8) The buildings were enlarged in 1976. (fn. 9) There were 38 children at the school in 1999. (fn. 10)