Beeston & District Local History Society provides a monthly column sharing local history, this month they talk about The Old Chilwell School:
The old Chilwell school on School Lane, first opened in 1854 but was no longer sustainable by the 1890s.
An entry in the school logbook, which covers 1894 at the old school on School Lane, on 2 April 1896 shows that Chilwell transferred with the staff and children to the new school location.
“The scholars were dismissed at 4.15pm for the Easter Break Vacation with instructions to assemble at the new schools on April 14th,1896.”
The new school was, of course Meadow Lane School which catered for all ages at a time when children left school at the age of 11. The school cost £2199.11s. 2d. to build and the architect was Mr Frederick Ball who also designed the Palace Cinema in Beeston.
Meadow Lane School was an Elementary Board School, officially opened on 30 April 1896 by W. J. Abel B.A, Clerk to Nottingham School Board. The scholars performed the cantata “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe” and a humorous speech was given by Chilwell philanthropist Mr Charles Gregory (Gregory’s Roses.)
The Head teacher Mathew W. Theakston (who had studied Mathematics at University College Nottingham) and his wife Ada lived in the schoolhouse, they had previously taught in Loughborough. The Theakstons were supported by Pupil Teachers. The school logbook recorded that 196 children attended in June 1896.
Meadow Lane School became The Lanes Primary School when it merged with College House School in September 2017.