Ryhill School

An article taken from the Wragby and Ryhill Parish Magazine 1877

The building referred to was originally on School Lane later to become the Church Hall and demolished in recent years.

In an earlier number of the present series, an article appeared bearing the above heading. It announced but little, and was written rather despondently, for, at that time, we could scarcely dare hope for success. However, as the time went on, so in its flow came a sufficient sum to entitle us to undertake the building of a Temple of Wisdom, and the present collection of bricks and mortar, slates and timber is the outcome of of what once appeared rather hopeless.

Of the whole sum required, we are sorry to say that Ryhill has contributed considerably less than one half. For this they are partly not to blame, as a considerable property is unable, through legal technicalities, to help us. But we must be bold to say, that many small proprietors. upon whom a rate-built school would have been a great drain, have not at all come forward to help. The ratepayers of Ryhill may imagine what they have been saved, when we state that the school premises, which they see growing under the builder's hands, could not probably have cost them a farthing under £1200. And the whole of this they would have to provide. Whether Wintersett would have been added to the school district and so have contributed, we do not know; as the original notice was served on Ryhill alone, it might have been hard to drag Wintersett into the Educational rate. The above sum is quite over and beyond the cost of maintenance, which at a low calculation would mean the raising from the rates a sum of £140 per annum. We are heartily glad that the parish has been saved this expenditure and hope that appreciation of the saving will be shewn by punctual and regular attendance on the part of the children, and that parents will help the managers all they can to ensure a success to the school.

We have been in hopes of opening the school for the children on Monday April 16th. The weather has been much against us, but certainly, at the latest, "our opening day" will be April 23rd. That is, for school purposes. We should like, later on, to have a pleasant gathering, to inaugurate the event, but what form this will take we cannot at present say; we shall seek advice from the parishioners on this point.

But very soon the small boys will be having a dim view of canes in the distance, not the sugar-cane, but a plant allied to the beetroot tribe. In our small boy days, copy  books under the waistcoat, and also where coat-tails will hereafter be, were a great defence; but we are afraid that school masters have become too clever to be dodged in that fashion now-a-days. So Dick and Jim and Bill and Mary and Jane will have to buckle to in sober earnest. 

Due notice of commencement will be given, and in a rough way we may state that the teaching will include Religious Knowledge; Reading, Writing, Spelling, Arithmetic, Geography, Grammar, and History; Drawing, Singing, and Drill; in addition the girls will be taught Sewing, and the Infants Natural History and also lessons in Form and Colour. The fee for all this intellectual meal is 3d a week, for all ages and sizes and sexes. Many amongst us would have given almost worlds for such a chance, and now that it is given, let us hope that advantage will be taken of it, for we may be sure that in the next generation the man or woman who cannot Read and Write will have a very poor chance indeed in the battle of life. It seems too good to be true that at last education will be laid at our very doors.

Some one said once, "Knowledge is power," and many amongst us may feel inclined to say, "so it is".

And so, in this way, accessible education for all came to Ryhill. Long may it continue to grow and improve.

Thanks to Jo Winham - Editor of the current Ryhill Parish Magazine for permission to reproduce the above article which appeared in the March 2003 edition.