Clarborough & Welham Community
near Retford, Bassetlaw
North Nottinghamshire
United Kingdom

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Primary School History
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Clarborough Mixed School, as it was then called, came into existence following the 1870 Education (‘Forster’s’) Act. The opening entry in the first school Log Book (1871-1887) is dated 1st May, 1871:

1 May 1871 Clarborough Mixed School. This day I (Ellen Robinson) took the charge of the above named school. It has not been placed under government but is to be, though it has been subject to the Inspector’s visits. I have not been able today to find out the childrens attainments so as to place them in the various standards.

Now, although the original school building (still extant - see below, although no longer used for education) stands immediately adjacent to the church of St.John the Baptist, research has so far failed to link the school to the church prior to the above entry, the language of which offers a tantalising hint that such a history may remain to be uncovered. However, a recent discovered (March. 2021) in Southwell & Nottingham Church Project (https://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/clarborough/hhistory.php) refers to ‘the schoolroom, an ugly modern building on the north side of the Chancel’ when Sir Stephen Glynne visited the church in 1869.

Note: All extracts from Clarborough School Log Books remain copyright of Nottinghamshire County Council / Nottinghamshire Archives and are included here by permission.  Extracts were prepared by G.A.Herdman.

It is intended that these Log book extracts, at least up to 1952 when the sixth Log Book was closed, will appear on this site in due course. The first five are now available below:

1871-87 Extracts : Extracts from Clarborough School’s First Log Book (1st May 1871 - 29th April, 1887)

1887-93 Extracts : Extracts from Clarborough School’s Second Log Book (2nd May, 1887 - 19th May. 1893)

1893-99 Extracts : Extracts from Clarborough School’s Third Log Book (5th June 1893 - 4th August, 1899)

1899-1910 Extracts : Extracts from Clarborough School’s Fourth Log Book (11th August 1899 - 9th June, 1910)

1910-1922 Extracts : Extracts from Clarborough School’s Fifth Log Book (14th June 1910 - 31st March, 1922)