Information in the School Files, 1876-1939 includes:

Applications for the establishment of schools

Application forms contain details of prospective pupils, together with information relating to the proposed site and building. Letters from promoters of schools concern the site, building, teacher and a variety of other matters. Inspectors' reports deal with the prospects of the district and the viability of the proposed school, and contain recommendations relating to the site, the permanent building and if necessary the temporary building, teachers, etc.

The schools progress and its physical provision

Letters and memoranda deal with changes in the schools status, closures and re-openings, and the adequacy of the site and buildings (ranging from routine repairs to new buildings). Valuable information on the progress of the district and on conditions in the school is often included.

Teachers

Amongst the maters dealt with are appointments, transfers and promotions, examinations, leave, complaints by parents and inspection reports. There were no teachers' personal files as such prior to 1940, papers relating to individual teachers being filed amongst the records of the school at which the teacher was currently employed. For information on teachers see Short Guide 10.

Miscellaneous

Relatively little correspondence deals with pupils or courses of study. Much can be gleaned, however, from letters dealing with a variety of aspects of the schools operations

Please note:

School files may contain hand drawn sketches through to professionally drawn architects plans. Plans which have been extracted from these files are listed in the online Schools and related records index. You can also find a listing of the plans in the Maps and Plans Index which is available in the reading rooms. These plans are of schools, classrooms and teachers' residences showing buildings, improvements and additions.

Post-1939 records are strictly administrative.

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