Stretton: Education

Education

In 1833 there were three day schools, one of them evidently at Clay Mills, and a Sunday school, all of them established since 1818. (fn. 4) A National school at the corner of Church Road and Bridge Street was opened in 1842 and managed by a parish committee. In 1855, when there were 44 boys and 38 girls at the school, there was a mistress as well as a master, who also taught on four evenings each week. (fn. 5)

Stretton was included in a school board district established for the Burton area in 1873, and a new school was built behind the National school in 1874- 5. (fn. 6) It remained an all-age school until 1937, when the seniors were transferred to a school in Tutbury. (fn. 7) In 1958 the primary school was renamed after William Shrewsbury, the headmaster who retired in 1919 after 40 years' service and who then served as a school manager until 1937. (fn. 8) A new school building for juniors was opened in Church Road in 1967. The infants remained at Bridge Street until 1997, when they too were moved to Church Road. The 1870s board school was then demolished and a block of flats built on the site. (fn. 9)

Dovecliff grammar school was opened in 1965 on the west side of Stretton, with access from Rolleston Road in Horninglow. It was amalgamated with Horninglow secondary school in 1975 to become Wulfric comprehensive school, which in turn was amalgamated in 1985 with the Forest of Needwood high school in Rolleston to become the present De Ferrers high school. The former grammar school building is occupied as the Trent Campus site of that school. (fn. 10)

Bitham special school in Bitham Lane was opened in 1967. (fn. 11) Crown special school, also in Bitham Lane, was opened in 1976, replacing a school in Burton. (fn. 12)