The Welney Website
William Marshall Primary School
page created February 2005, amended/updated Wednesday, 31 May 2017
| Home Page & Site Index |
|
On the far side of Main Street is the creeper-covered Lamb and Flag Inn. At the school gates, Meadow Lane turns 90°and runs between the school perimeter wall and the Old Post House (with roof lights) to Bedford Bank West. During 2008-9 there was a protracted squabble about rights of way along that section. |
The photo below taken in June 2005 is a rear view looking east; the school is the T-shaped group of buildings in the bottom-right quarter of the photo.
The grey-tiled part was the old Shool House where the headmaster and his family lived. Access to the blue school gates is via a slip road off Main
Street then a short section of Meadow Lane.
|
At the bottom of the photo the three houses are (left to right) Laburnum Cottages, The Old Post House, and Croft House with its three workshops behind. The slip road serving those properties and the lane to the school is seperated from Main Street by a grass bank. The T-shaped road at top right is Taymor Place. |
Part of the field beyond the school rear perimeter wall was acquired
in 1977 by Marshall's Charity for use as a school playing field.
|
The Old Post House was the Post Office until 1960. Croft House was a shop (various sorts) which at one time also sold petrol. The yellow and white objects on the edge of the front garden are fuel pumps (Shell-Mex ?). |
|
The requirements set by the Trustees (of Marshall's Charity) for the Schoolmaster were: "shall be capable of teaching Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, and be a married man of good reputation and a member of the Church of England and shall be engaged for life". |
By 1827 enough money had been accumulated to establish a school, but not sufficient to acquire land or erect a building. The school therefore began in the vestry of the (then) C of E Chapel. By 1843 the funds had increased to an extent that the Trustees were able to commission plans to build a school and schoolmaster's house. They were greatly helped by another benefactor, the Rev. William Gale Townley, Rector of Upwell-with-Welney, who donated land for the school (and also for a new Chapel and Almshouses, described elsewhere). In 1844 John C. Buckler was appointed Architect and he prepared designs and estimated the cost would be £710. In 1847 the project was approved by the Court of Chancery, tenders for the works were sought, and Jeremiah Andrews was awarded the contract. Construction began that same year, and the rector's wife Mrs W.G.Townley laid the cornerstone. The buildings were completed a year later in 1848 at a cost of nearly double the original estimate.
Over the years, pupil numbers ranged from 25 to 120. In 1875 there were 90 children enrolled, and three years later it had risen to 102. In 1890 there were 120 children, and in 1912 104 were enrolled, although average attendance was only 94. During the 1920's the figure dropped to the mid 70's, but in 1927 the Mission School at Hundred Foot Bank (built in 1874, also by Marshall's Charity) closed and 43 pupils were transferred to Welney taking the enrolment to 118.
In 1935 the numbers were down to 107, but the figures dropped dramatically a few years later when children living at Hundred Foot Bank were transferred to the school at Ten Mile Bank in 1938, and a year later children over the age of 11 were sent to the newly opened High School in Upwell. That left just 46 pupils remaining at Welney in 1939.
In 1948 the numbers had dropped still further to 34, and in 1976 it was down to just 26 children. The numbers doubled the following year, 1977 when the Lakes End school closed and 26 children were transferred to Welney taking enrolment to 52. in 1985 the figure dropped slightly to 48, and then numbers gradually dwindled to the mid 20's, well below the viable minimum. Without the continued support of William Marshall's Charity, the school would not have survived.
The numbers increased for a while; in 2000 there were 31 pupils, in 2005 37 pupils, and 36 in 2008; but they fell again and in 2015 the education authority, Norfolk County Council, considered it was no longer viable. After a short battle by parents (see link at page bottom) it closed and children are now bussed to Upwell.
In 2017 William Marshall Charity sold the building and site and at the time of this update an application has been made to convert the premises to a Christian retreat. See Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council planning dept, ref: 17/00701/F.
|
The original school was to be called "The Charity School of William Marshall". Pupils were to be boys between 6 and 14 years old and girls from 6 to 13 years old. |
| In a recent book "Downham Mkt & Around", Chistopher Shaw points out that
the 1901 census shows Mr Bearcock was unmarried and assisted in the school by his 32 yr old niece Ann Bearcock. She had been listed in the 1891 census as housekeeper and sewing mistress.
His unmarried satus appears contrary to the requirements of the trust as noted above. |
The record belongs to Walter Bearcock with 38 years from 1883 to 1919, a much disliked and feared master.
Charles Ray served 25 years from 1925 to 1948 (and was apparently in the Welney Home Guard, possibly as a Captain, and Welney Civil Defence unit in WW2).
Bryan Turner's 28 years from 1957 to 1985 are very fondly remembered by several generations of current Welneyites. He was very popular, and became involved in virtually all aspects of life in Welney, - see link at bottom right.
Since 2004 the school has shared a headteacher with Upwell Community Primary School. There is however a full-time 'teacher-in-charge' (assistant head), Miss Lynne Radford, also since 2004.
In 2010 there were also a full-time and a part-time teacher and 4 teaching assistants.
| 1827-1833 | unknown |
| 1833-1858 | Mr Christopher Green |
| 1858- ? | Mr Henry Perkins |
| 1875-1878 | Mr John R Sharman |
| 1879-1883 | Mr William Gleave |
| 1883-1919 | Mr Walter Bearcock |
| 1919-1921 | several temporaries |
| 1921-1925 | Mr Bertam Topham |
| 1925-1948 | Mr Charles Ray |
| 1948-1957 | Mr Charles Brotherton |
| 1957-1985 | Mr Bryan Turner |
| 1985-1987 | Mr John Van Dyke (acting) |
| 1987-2002 | Mrs Jasmine Golson |
| 2002-2004 | Mr Mike Coates (LEA) |
| 2004-200? | Mrs Fiona Rickard |
| 200?-2010 | Mrs Lyn Chatwin |
| 2010- | To be announced |
FRIENDS OF THE SHOOL
| Chair | Miss Heidi Cowles |
| Treasurer | Jo Reader |
|
INSPECTIONS Most people know that schools are inspected every few years to assess the management of the school and standard of pupil education. The findings are published as an 'OFSTED' report. But did you know that this school is also inspected to assess performance regarding Christian ethos & practice? These are SIAS reports. Links to OFSTED and SIAS reports are at bottom right of page |
Foundation governors were appointed by the Ely Diocesan Board of Education and Training. The rector of St Mary’s Welney was a foundation governor ex-officio; but if unable or unwilling to serve or if there was a vacancy in the office, a substitute could be appointed by the Archdeacon.
School ethos: Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level.
The school's aim was to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encouraged an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promoted Christian values through the experience it offered to all its pupils.
| Chair & LEA gov'r | Dr Susan Dobson |
| Vice-chair & foundation gov'r | Mrs Moss-Eccardt |
| teacher-gov'r | Miss Lynne Radford |
| community gov'r | Mr Peter Wood |
| foundation gov'r | Mrs K. Bone |
| parent gov'r | Mrs Claire Freer |
| parent gov'r | Mrs T. Christon |
| parent gov'r | Mrs K. Hopkin |
| Clerk | Mrs A. Pollard |
Mrs Shephard also toured the school, speaking to staff, parents and pupils, and cut the celebratory cake.
The new sign said the school was founded in 1848, the year the building was erected, but the records suggest the foundation was actually in 1827 as decribed above.
The school had a variety of names, including Welney Mixed School and Welney Old School. In 1969 the name officially adopted was The William Marshall School, Welney. That too changed, the name on the new sign being William Marshall Primary School. Various abbreviations have been incorporated - CE or C of E (i.e. Church of England) and VC (i.e.Voluntary Controlled). However, William Marshall's name remained foremost.
The old sign, right, was retained on the front gate and was used as the logo on the school's own official website except the background colour was blue not green.
the old school sign on the front gate.
|
Acknowledgments. Text based largely on research by the late Ken Sorensen, 1997-1999. Old photos from our archives. 2005 aerial shot courtesy Dick Fiske New ones by Peter Cox, 2008-2010. |
In 2002 (?) the school house was converted into an extension of the school, again with the help of Marshall's Charity. The ground floor of the old school house was used for 5 half-day sessions per week by the Welney Cygnets (later disbanded) and by the school the rest of the time.
The school was well equipped with IT and musical facilities. Read more about todays school, the staff and activities, at the school's own website.
In the spring of 2015, the threat of closure of the school by Norfolk CC surprised and shocked parents, the Welney Parish Counci and many residents. See link on right for a very detailed report for and against the proposal.
Despite the protests, the school closed at the end of 2015 and the children transferred to Upwell.
In 2017 William Marshall Charity sold the building and site and at the time of this update an application has been made to convert the premises to a Christian retreat. See Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council planning dept, ref: 17/00701/F.
| more Wm Marshall school pages |
| CLOSURE possible Aug '15 |
| Photo archives |
| Ofsted reports |
| Related pages on this website |
| William Marshall |
| Marshall's Charity |
| Bryan Turner |
| Mission School, 100 Foot Bank |
| Lakes End School |
| Related pages on other websites |
| the School's own site. |