THE BOY’S SCHOOL

1877; New Board School in Dawlish Stockton Hill opened by Sir John Kennaway. Built with limestone from Ipplepen, with Chudleigh coigns and dressing and Doulton stone, Accommodation for 200 pupils, cost with site stated as £2692.

1880; Elementary Education Act made school attendance compulsory for children age five to ten years.
The Boy’s School Log book had some interesting facts, pupils 158, in March they received some reading books for the boys. Attendance was very irregular as potato planting was going on. They had a good inspection report, the Head being John Carter Chinneck with Charles Pyne, assistant head teacher, and two other masters.
“In August 13 boys have leave from school to go harvesting and they all have a half day for the Regatta. “Dec 17th, my assistant teacher Mr Pyne was absent from school on Monday last. He asked me to excuse him on that day as he was married on the previous day, which I accordingly did.”

A hundred years ago, corporal punishment was normal. Stanley Shorland writing about his school days in about 1911 recalled “It was rare to see a master walking among his class without a cane in his hand or tucked under his arm. It seemed that any minor infringement in behaviour or carelessness in work was enough to start him laying about him indiscriminately”. One teacher had three canes which he named ‘Benjamin’, ‘David’, and ‘Goliath’, in ascending order of size, selecting the cane best suited to the offence.

In 1937, when the new secondary school was built, the Boy’s School became the mixed Junior School and the building in Old Town St became the Infants School.