Collection SBL - SCHOOL BOARD FOR LONDON

Identity area

Reference code

SBL

Title

SCHOOL BOARD FOR LONDON

Date(s)

  • 1870-1925 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

116.33 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The School Board for London was set up under the Public Elementary Education Act of 1870 for the whole of the 'metropolis', the latter being defined as the area coming within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works. For electoral and administrative purposes the area was split into ten divisions. The franchise was extended to all ratepayers (including women) who were entitled to vote in the vestry elections; the Board was therefore the first of the Metropolitan authorities to be directly elected on a democratic basis.

Though in its early years the Board has great difficulty in carrying out even the minimal requirements of the Act, it was by the 1880's trying to extend its functions to fill the obvious need for education beyond the "three R's" (reading, writing and arithmetic) and to improve the physical conditions of the children. Its tasks included building schools and training teachers for a very large and steadily increasing number of children as well as enforcing school attendance. The School Board was closed in 1903 and its powers passed to the London County Council.

Archival history

SBL 1870-1925 Collection 116.33 linear metres School Board for London

The School Board for London was set up under the Public Elementary Education Act of 1870 for the whole of the 'metropolis', the latter being defined as the area coming within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works. For electoral and administrative purposes the area was split into ten divisions. The franchise was extended to all ratepayers (including women) who were entitled to vote in the vestry elections; the Board was therefore the first of the Metropolitan authorities to be directly elected on a democratic basis.

Though in its early years the Board has great difficulty in carrying out even the minimal requirements of the Act, it was by the 1880's trying to extend its functions to fill the obvious need for education beyond the "three R's" (reading, writing and arithmetic) and to improve the physical conditions of the children. Its tasks included building schools and training teachers for a very large and steadily increasing number of children as well as enforcing school attendance. The School Board was closed in 1903 and its powers passed to the London County Council.

Received in multiple accessions between 1952 and 1955 (AC/52/034; AC/53/046; AC/54/087; AC/55/062).

Minutes and agendas of the School Board, 1870-1925; minutes and agendas of other committees and sub-committees including the Accommodation and Attendance Committee, Bye Laws Committee, Capricious Migration of Children Committee, Minuting and Educational Endowments Committee, Evening Classes and Continutation Schools Committee, Finance Committee, General Purposes Committee, Industrial Schools Committee, Legal Committee, Manual Training Committee, Overpressure Committee, Rearrangement of Committees Committee, School Management Committee, Statistical Committee, Underfed Children Committee, Works Committee, Health of Schoolchildren Committee and Scholarships Committee.

Printed documents issued by the Board such as forms, requisition lists, notices, contracts, specifications, agendas and tickets; annual reports; publication "The Work of the London School Board", 1900; rules and regulations; list of all members of the School Board compiled after the closure of the Board in 1904; reports by committees including the Bye Laws Committee, the Works Committee and the School Accommodation and Attendance Committee; reports by solicitors relating to legal matters; correspondence; curricula, syllabi and notes on methods of teaching domestic subjects, drawing, history, geography, manual training, physical training, reading, religious instruction, science and technical training; tables of schools within the district of the Metropolis; books of reference for building works; plans of schools; maps showing the locations of Board schools; contracts and registers of contracts for the erection, alteration, repair, cleaning, supply and maintenance of schools; papers regarding Higher Grade schools, Industrial schools, Special schools, Industrial schools and Truant schools; Inspector's Reports; papers regarding staff including salary ledgers; tenders and particulars for stationery and stores; financial accounts and schedules for repairs.

SBL/1-1136 and SBL/1436-1517: Committees; SBL/1137-1369: Printed Papers; SBL/1370-1409: Bye Laws and Legal; SBL/1410-1413: Correspondence; SBL/1414-1435: Methods of Teaching; SBL/1518-1531, SBL/1569-1579, SBL/1618-1620 and SBL/1820-1882: Schools; SBL/1532-1568 and SBL/1920-1922: Buildings, Sites and Works; SBL/CON: Contracts; SBL/1580-1617: Inspector's Reports; SBL/1621-1819, SBL/1887-1913: Administration and Finance.

Available for general access.

Copyright: City of London.
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For the papers of the School Board's successor, the London County Council Education Department, see reference LCC/EO.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. April to June 2009 Elementary Education Act 1870 c75 Educational institutions Schools Industrial schools Educational administration Educational governing bodies School boards Social welfare Child welfare Educational development Curriculum development People People by occupation Personnel Educational personnel Teachers Educational environment School student relationship School attendance Educational systems Adult education Evening classes Visual materials Plans Building plans Educational legislation Legislation Law School buildings Educational buildings Technological institutes Universities Higher education institutions Special schools Educational management Education School Board for London London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Received in multiple accessions between 1952 and 1955 (AC/52/034; AC/53/046; AC/54/087; AC/55/062).

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Minutes and agendas of the School Board, 1870-1925; minutes and agendas of other committees and sub-committees including the Accommodation and Attendance Committee, Bye Laws Committee, Capricious Migration of Children Committee, Minuting and Educational Endowments Committee, Evening Classes and Continutation Schools Committee, Finance Committee, General Purposes Committee, Industrial Schools Committee, Legal Committee, Manual Training Committee, Overpressure Committee, Rearrangement of Committees Committee, School Management Committee, Statistical Committee, Underfed Children Committee, Works Committee, Health of Schoolchildren Committee and Scholarships Committee.

Printed documents issued by the Board such as forms, requisition lists, notices, contracts, specifications, agendas and tickets; annual reports; publication "The Work of the London School Board", 1900; rules and regulations; list of all members of the School Board compiled after the closure of the Board in 1904; reports by committees including the Bye Laws Committee, the Works Committee and the School Accommodation and Attendance Committee; reports by solicitors relating to legal matters; correspondence; curricula, syllabi and notes on methods of teaching domestic subjects, drawing, history, geography, manual training, physical training, reading, religious instruction, science and technical training; tables of schools within the district of the Metropolis; books of reference for building works; plans of schools; maps showing the locations of Board schools; contracts and registers of contracts for the erection, alteration, repair, cleaning, supply and maintenance of schools; papers regarding Higher Grade schools, Industrial schools, Special schools, Industrial schools and Truant schools; Inspector's Reports; papers regarding staff including salary ledgers; tenders and particulars for stationery and stores; financial accounts and schedules for repairs.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

SBL/1-1136 and SBL/1436-1517: Committees; SBL/1137-1369: Printed Papers; SBL/1370-1409: Bye Laws and Legal; SBL/1410-1413: Correspondence; SBL/1414-1435: Methods of Teaching; SBL/1518-1531, SBL/1569-1579, SBL/1618-1620 and SBL/1820-1882: Schools; SBL/1532-1568 and SBL/1920-1922: Buildings, Sites and Works; SBL/CON: Contracts; SBL/1580-1617: Inspector's Reports; SBL/1621-1819, SBL/1887-1913: Administration and Finance.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright: City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

For the papers of the School Board's successor, the London County Council Education Department, see reference LCC/EO.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area