Victorian school

The Early St Thomas School
	When St Thomas School first started it took place in the church choir loft. As time went on and the roll grew, the school acquired premises in Panmure Street for an evening school. A priest called Father Alexander Gordon left ground available next to the church for a possible school building in the future.
In August 1878 St Thomas school was opened. It was funded by the people of the parish. When it was opened, it was described in the paper as being "a handsome edifice very well built and arranged to serve as a school and also a hall." The school was split into three classrooms. The toilets were outside.
	In the first 32 years of St Thomas School there were 11 head teachers and almost twice as many assistants. Of the head teachers, the shortest stay was only three months. The longest stay was ten years. Lady teachers had to give up their jobs if they got married. In the early days of the school there were numerous visits by priests and other important people from many parts of the country.
A School Inspector came every once in a while. He asked the children questions about the work they had been doing. If they could not answer correctly, their teacher would be angry. They would probably get the belt after the inspector went away and that would be very sore.

	The head teachers of the school had to keep LOG BOOKS. We have our school log books from the year 1878 and we can learn many things from them. Attendance figures were often mentioned. This was important to the school because they got more money from the government if attendance was high. Prizes were often given to children with perfect attendance.
More from the log book ........
Children were given a holiday to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday.
	The school was closed when the weather was very bad.
When the circus came to Arbroath, the children were given the day off to go and see it.
	The children only got a one day holiday at Christmas time.
Epidemics of flu and other diseases often caused the school to be closed. (One pupil died in 1898 from the flu.)
	On Holy Days the girls had to do dictation instead of sewing!

In The Classroom
	Children older than seven were divided into six grades called standards. They sat a test at the end of the year to see if they could pass into the next standard. If you skipped school or failed the test you might stay at grade one for ever. The 3R's were the important things - READING, WRITING and ARITHMETIC
School began at 9 a.m. They would usually start with a religious assembly led by the head teacher. It might consist of the Lord's Prayer which they learnt by heart and then a hymn. The headteacher might read from the bible and speak about Jesus. Religion was a big part of school life because they wanted the children to become good Christians.	After religious assembly the school children might be checked for head lice or ringworm. The register would also be ticked off to see how many were present that day.
Reading was important. The children would have a book and would read around the class. A lot of time and care was taken with writing. The youngest children would write by using their finger in a sand tray. The next oldest children would use a slate and a slate pencil. When you were good at writing, you would progress on to using a pen and ink. The pen had a nib and would be dipped into the inkwell. You had to be careful not to smudge the ink with you hand or sleeve. The teacher would be angry if you "blotted your copybook."

	Arithmetic was also very important. The children would spend a lot of time learning their tables. They could count on an abacus. There were no calculators in those days.
The children were given object lessons. This meant the teacher took an object out of a box and then told the children all about it. They would learn facts about it. Geography and history were also taught by the teacher giving the children a lot of facts and making them learn them off by heart. The children would get art. This was mostly drawing. An object or picture would be copied to the best of the children's ability.	Spelling and dictation would be done daily. Boys would do woodwork and girls would do sewing.
	P.E. was called Drill. The children might do this in the playground. They would not change into P.E. kits. Drill often consisted of marching or doing arm stretches and movements. The teacher would call out the instructions.

The children's desks might be like this one. The seat is attached to the desk. Two children would sit together side by side. (Other desks might have three or four children all sitting together.) There are slots on the top of the desk where the children can put their slates. There would also be holes for holding the inkwells. These would be filled in the morning by the ink monitor. There was also a ridge along the top to keep pens and pencils from rolling off the desk. Books were placed on a little shelf under the desk.

The teacher's desk was much higher and so was the chair they sat on. This means that they would have a good view of all the children all the time. Sometimes the teacher's desk would have a cupboard at the front for the storage of books.

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The windows were usually high in the classroom so the children would not be distracted by looking out.

A stove would heat the room.

A handbell would be rung to start and end the day.

*A Victorian School day*
	Just to get the feel of things ........ once we decided to enact a Victorian school day of our own
	The teacher had a high desk and chair so she could keep an eye on everyone.
And here's a naughty boy getting up to something.....		Is that a pigtail going into the inkwell!!!
Time for Drill One Two -Hands Up	These sums are hard.	Too hard for me!
Thank goodness it's lunch time.		Out for some fun in the playground.
The bell goes and it's back to work.		The BELT is sitting on the teacher's desk just waiting for any slackers.
Handwriting lesson. "Sit up straight."		Don't want to blot the copybook!
Or else - our fingers will be stinging with the feel of the belt.		OWWW!!!
It's a hard life!
History of St Thomas School

Looking at some Victorian Artefacts
*It's a busy life*


Time for Bed
	*Early morning wash*
Washing and ironing again!

Our history project looked at what life was like for children over a hundred years ago.
	We concentrated especially on what life was like in school at that time and how it differs from today.