Barrow-Upon-Soar Adult School Movement

Adult school education was originally initiated in the 1790s but in the second half of the 19th Century, during the non-conformist revival, the idea was taken up by the Quakers and the Adult School Movement was set up by them in several British Cities. Joseph Rowntree, the philanthropic industrialist, was an instigator of the movement in York. The aim being to teach illiterate people their abcand develop their fellowship and spiritual natures within society.

A branch of this Movement, which was non-political and non-sectarian, was started in Barrow-upon-Soar in 1897 with a public meeting at the Board School in Cotes Road. The object of the meeting was to improve the lives of the impoverished and un-educated persons in the locality by teaching them the basics in education and the benefits of good fellowship within the community. The first meeting, which was attended by 19 men, was held on Sunday, 27th of October in 1897 and in future years this date used as the anniversary of the Branch.

Mr W Whiteley was the first President and Mr John Haseldine was the first scholar to be enrolled. Founder members of the Adult School (as pictured below ) included R H Bennett, CK Gimson (Head of Humphrey Perkins School), W Sudbury, W Haseldine, R Davis, F Summers, F C Austin (Head of the Board School) and C Goodacre (Chairman of the Parish Council). Many famous people were engaged as guest speakers, including Ramsey MacDonald , who later became Prime Minister.

  

The social aspect of the School was encouraged, with the aim of assisting the pupils to interact within the village and from this sprang the present day Conservative Club and the Barrow Co-operative Society. The Adult School social functions included general communal activities, guest speakers and public teas, with occasional garden parties which were held within the grounds of local dignitories. There were also musical, orchestral and light entertainment performances carried out by the Adult School 'Glee Party'. These were a group of musicians made up of members of the Committee, who also held shows within the locality raising monies for local causes. The pupils were encouraged to attend church services within the village. For many years the meetings School, the Church Rooms and later, some schooling at the Toc H building in North Street. A women's branch was later formed, with similar aims.

The basic education was taught successfully from 1897 onwards for the less literate persons in the village. Alongside the basic education and social teachings, the adult school was also used as an 'Evening Continuation School for more educated students wishing to further their educational learning. This section of the school had begun in 1893 with classes in Arithmetic, Drawing and Physiography and was led by Mr Frank Austin, who was also Head Teacher of the Board School in Barrow. Students studying Arithmetic were from Standard Level Vi upwards and called Class 'Ex. Throughout the running of the School, regular visits were made by varying members of the School Committee, who checked the Registers, signed them as correct and made comments as desired. The School was also visited annually by the government assessors. Details of the 'Evening Continuation School were minuted in a Leicestershire County Council Log Book by Mr Austin.

 As the success of the Adult School continued, it was considered desirable to obtain their own premises and a building in South Street, which had originally been erected as a squash court by the Martin family on the Lodge Estate, was identified as a suitable venue. Following negotiations, the building was purchased at a cost of £220.00. It was officially opened as the Adult School on 22 October 1938 by Mr A A Ironside, a former member who had kept the school in operation during WWI. Within one year of opening, however, WWII was declared and this brought about the demise of the school, due mainly to the call-up of young men for service. The movement continued after the war under the Presidency of Mr Herbert Haseldine. Other organisations within the village began to hire the use of the premises, including the Bishop Beveridge Club.

The Bishop Beveridge Club provided activities, meetings and outings for the elderly of Barrow and the surrounding villages. They had been using various venues within the village for their activities and in 1961, when the Adult School was in decline, the Trustees and Committee of the Bishop Beveridge Club showed an interest in purchasing the Adult School building, subject to sufficient funding being obtained. Finance would be required for both the purchase price and legal costs, and alterations and modifications to the building.

The Adult School Union decided to sell the building and on 10 June 1962 a price of £300 plus legal costs was agreed, with an initial agreement being signed by both parties, subject to the sale and conditions being approved by the Charity Commission and the Leicestershire Adult School Union. The Rural Commission Council was contacted for a Model Trust Deed by the Bishop Beveridge Club who then made plans to raise funds via grants and within the village through activities, letters to villagers and boxes in village shops. Grants were applied for totalling £100 from the NOPWA, £100 from King George VI Trust, £50 from the Rural District Council and a mortgage would also be necessary from Leicestershire Permanent Building Society. The local fund raising was maintained in the village over several years until the final purchase of the building. On 10 March 1964, an agreement to purchase was made with a Proviso that if a re-sale ever took place, the first option to buy would be given to the Adult School Union and this Proviso would have to be approved by the Charities Commission. Building alterations commenced following approval to the Proviso in 1964 and the sale of the building was finally completed in February 1965, with a Grand Opening by Bishop Beveridge Club held on 11 September 1965. The sale of the building was very drawn out due to the obtaining of grants, fund raising charity institutions' permissions and the excessively prolonged legal representations involved. The sale process finally taking over 4 years to complete.

The Adult School Movement suffered the same demise nationally during and after WWII as was happening in the Barrow-upon-Scar branch. Many felt it was too Victorian in its teachings and the emergence of other adult teaching Institutions such as the Workers Educational Association (WEA) also led to lack of support for the Movement. By 1970 there were only 2000 members nationally,