Norwell school building's 150th anniversary celebrations mark years of community service
Villagers are celebrating a school building that continues to support the community 150 years after its construction.
In 1871 the foundation stone for a new school in Norwell was laid by Sir John Evelyn Denison, speaker of the House of Commons and MP, marking the start of the modern and universal education system in the village.
Residents are gathering at the old school building on Sunday to celebrate the anniversary with an informal gathering serving drinks and canapés, at the invitation of the current owners.
Invited to the event are descendants of those who were present, including relatives of speaker Denison MP, the builder Henry Clipsham and parochial school trustees.
There will also be former pupils who studied in the school prior to its closure, representatives of the current C of E primary school and the trustees of Norwell Educational Foundation.
The current speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle sent a letter of support to the foundation in the place of speaker Denison.
Sir Lindsay said: “I am heartened to learn that my predecessor Speaker John Evelyn Denison MP had the foresight to support the creation of a new school in Norwell, all those decades ago.
“One can only imagine how grateful the local people must have been that their children’s education would be offered in a more suitable establishment than the old charity school.
“May I wish you every success in marking this significant milestone in the history of the opening of the Victorian school.”
The parochial school replaced a charity school opened in 1727, and provided a more formal education to children in the parish.
It closed as a school in 1966, when the current C of E primary school was built, but the Victorian school continued to serve the community and hosted several parish groups including the youth club, mothers and babies club and the Scouts and Brownies.
The school building is now private property, but money donated during its operation and profits from its sale are held by the Norwell Educational Foundation which continues to support young people in the parish.
Most recently each young person was awarded £100 from the foundation to support distance learning during the pandemic.
The Norwell Educational Foundation are also planning to put on an assembly at the current primary school, where framed copies of the letter will be presented to the governors, staff and pupils.
