Meppershall Lower School

The present school is on or near the site of the original Charity School of 1698, known as the " Emery's Charity School" after Meppershall benefited from the foundation set up by Misses Sarah and Elizabeth Emery. They lived in the manor house after the death of their father Squire Richard Emery. Although some brief accounts of scholars still survive, little is known of the history for the next 250 years.

1839 - part of the old rectory orchard was used for a National School room. Thirty years later the schoolroom was rebuilt on a larger scale with the addition of a head teachers house. Another classroom was added a few years later to meet the requirements of the Education Department.

1877 - a bell presented to the school, thought to have been destroyed when the house was demolished.

1884 - Her Majesty’s Inspector told the head to limit the pupils to 125 or enlarge the premises, or the school grant would be endangered.

1969 - another classroom was added.

The school house was finally demolished and a new extension built consisting of various rooms.

1963 - New Kitchen came into operation.

1974 - the extension was dedicated by the then Bishop of Bedford.

Attendance of school has changed over the years, for seventy years or more summer holidays were fixed according to harvest time which is unpredictable (more so now) Five weeks was the norm but if longer was required then the holiday was longer. Since the children would have been kept from school to work the fields, this made sense. Although children were still kept from school to glean the fields after harvest. In particular girls were at home to help with Straw plaiting.

1940 School holidays were set for a year by the Education Committee, even then the school managers decided minor holidays according to the agricultural needs of the area. Often Summer holidays were separated for harvesting and the potato picking. A half day was given for the Shefford Fair in October after the children had attended church. The Bye-law in 1914 stating that children had to be at school when it was open did not seem to affect parents in Meppershall very much.

The church played an important part in the school and was run by school managers chaired by the rector prior to the 1948 Education Act.

Between the Two World wars, education was not affected to much, although between 1914/18, 12 year olds were allowed to leave providing they worked on the land for the war effort. At the outbreak of WW2 evacuee children from London were admitted increasing the roll to over 100, but in 1944 this number fell to 40.

In 1948 school parcels from Waterloo School in New Zealand were distributed amongst the children.

1948 - saw preliminary planning for school meals started, from the village hall which was almost opposite the school at that time.

1962 - other discussions on the same subject.

The school has it’s own swimming pool mainly due to the Parent Teacher association formed for this purpose.