Collection GB 0366 SP - SPORNE, Arthur Raymond (1890-1977)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0366 SP

Title

SPORNE, Arthur Raymond (1890-1977)

Date(s)

  • 1913-1977 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Arthur Sporne (1890-1977) was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk 1890 as the youngest child of William Sporne, grocer, and Hannah Morley, five of whose eight children, including Arthur, went on to become teachers. From 1893 he attended a 'British' [and Foreign Schools Society] elementary school, where his brother was a pupil teacher, and then a 'Church' [of England] school, before moving to King's Lynn Grammar School. He trained as a teacher at Sheffield Training College c1908-1910. From 1911 he worked at the Joseph Lancester Elementary School in Ealing, as well as having short periods of experience at Fulham Reformatory and of war service during World War One. Following military service, Sporne returned to teaching at the Joseph Lancaster School until 1924 at which date the school was transferred to the Grange School, Ealing. The school was evacuated to Stoke Mandeville during the Second World War. After the War he taught at Selbourne School where he specialised in the teaching of mathematics. He retired in 1954 after which he wrote, and coached school phobics.

Archival history

GB 0366 SP 1913-1977 collection 1 box Sporne , Arthur Raymond , 1890-1977 , teacher

Arthur Sporne (1890-1977) was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk 1890 as the youngest child of William Sporne, grocer, and Hannah Morley, five of whose eight children, including Arthur, went on to become teachers. From 1893 he attended a 'British' [and Foreign Schools Society] elementary school, where his brother was a pupil teacher, and then a 'Church' [of England] school, before moving to King's Lynn Grammar School. He trained as a teacher at Sheffield Training College c1908-1910. From 1911 he worked at the Joseph Lancester Elementary School in Ealing, as well as having short periods of experience at Fulham Reformatory and of war service during World War One. Following military service, Sporne returned to teaching at the Joseph Lancaster School until 1924 at which date the school was transferred to the Grange School, Ealing. The school was evacuated to Stoke Mandeville during the Second World War. After the War he taught at Selbourne School where he specialised in the teaching of mathematics. He retired in 1954 after which he wrote, and coached school phobics.

Deposited by the family in 1999.

Papers of Arthur Raymond Sporne, 1913-1977, comprising:
Audio cassette of an interview between Sporne and his daughter Celia, shortly before his death in 1977, consisting of reminiscences of his own school days, his own time as a teacher and the experiences of his siblings including on discipline; interior and exterior of school buildings; teachers and method of teaching; lessons in literature and mathematics; school books and equipment including the arrival of new school books and stationery in 1903; child poverty; school finance; the impact of the 1902 Education Act on sports facilities, medical inspection and treatment, school meals, scholarships and other developments; musical activities and education; teachers' salaries; religious denominationalism in education; school sport; teacher education, including the pupil teacher system and college training.
Photocopy of a typescript draft of a book entitled 'A Voice in the Wilderness' written by Sporne under the name Raymond Morley in the 1950s, including Sporne's views on the education system and teaching methods; his memories of developments within teaching during his own school days and during his time as a teacher; the methods he used when teaching mathematics to 'retarded' boys within a secondary modern school in the 1940s; an account of a visit by schools inspectors to the school. This also includes some original samples of pupil's work.
Essays completed by Sporne's pupils, including 'Does he really like us?' and 'Our teacher's tongue', 1913, in which the pupils, aged 12-13, comment on their teacher; 'The story of my life' , 1914 and 1952 in which pupils aged 13-14 give accounts of their life experiences, including family life, health and sickness, school days, work, play, holidays, outings and friendships; letters written by pupils at Fulham Reformatory School, Dec 1917 about the end of the school term, the Christmas holidays and plans for the following term.
Personalia including swimming and music certificates.

Open.

A reader wishing to publish any quotation of information, including pictorial, derived from any archive material must apply in writing for prior permission from the Librarian or other appropriate person(s) as indicated by the Archivist. A limited number of photocopies may be supplied at the discretion of the Archivist.
English

 Created 07/19/1999, modified  12/6/2000 Boarding schools Educational levels Elementary education Exceptional students Fulham Reformatory School Joseph Lancaster Elementary School, Ealing Language instruction Literary forms and genres Literature Mathematics education Nonfiction Personal narratives Prose Reformatory schools Schools Selbourne School, London Slow learners Sporne , Arthur Raymond , 1890-1977 , teacher Writing (composition) Educational institutions

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited by the family in 1999.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Arthur Raymond Sporne, 1913-1977, comprising:
Audio cassette of an interview between Sporne and his daughter Celia, shortly before his death in 1977, consisting of reminiscences of his own school days, his own time as a teacher and the experiences of his siblings including on discipline; interior and exterior of school buildings; teachers and method of teaching; lessons in literature and mathematics; school books and equipment including the arrival of new school books and stationery in 1903; child poverty; school finance; the impact of the 1902 Education Act on sports facilities, medical inspection and treatment, school meals, scholarships and other developments; musical activities and education; teachers' salaries; religious denominationalism in education; school sport; teacher education, including the pupil teacher system and college training.
Photocopy of a typescript draft of a book entitled 'A Voice in the Wilderness' written by Sporne under the name Raymond Morley in the 1950s, including Sporne's views on the education system and teaching methods; his memories of developments within teaching during his own school days and during his time as a teacher; the methods he used when teaching mathematics to 'retarded' boys within a secondary modern school in the 1940s; an account of a visit by schools inspectors to the school. This also includes some original samples of pupil's work.
Essays completed by Sporne's pupils, including 'Does he really like us?' and 'Our teacher's tongue', 1913, in which the pupils, aged 12-13, comment on their teacher; 'The story of my life' , 1914 and 1952 in which pupils aged 13-14 give accounts of their life experiences, including family life, health and sickness, school days, work, play, holidays, outings and friendships; letters written by pupils at Fulham Reformatory School, Dec 1917 about the end of the school term, the Christmas holidays and plans for the following term.
Personalia including swimming and music certificates.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open.

Conditions governing reproduction

A reader wishing to publish any quotation of information, including pictorial, derived from any archive material must apply in writing for prior permission from the Librarian or other appropriate person(s) as indicated by the Archivist. A limited number of photocopies may be supplied at the discretion of the Archivist.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

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

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Institute of Education

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area