In the 1850s the Boys' School in the Guildhall needed larger premises and the Church was grateful to be given land in Crab Tree Close - you will see that this name has been reused for the new housing on the brow of the hill - by Robert Stayner Holford (1808-1892) of Westonbirt who is remembered through the name of the housing at the end of Bremilham Road. Originally it was intended that both girls and boys would be taught here but another site was found in Cross Hayes for the girls. When this school opened on 2nd February 1857 it was proclaimed:
The object has been to provide what has long been wanted, a place of education in this town, upon .such a footing that no one need be excluded on account of a religious difference; and that all classes, without distinction, ma\ here find sound instruction, suitable to fit their children for their own sphere of employment, trade or business. Therefore, not only Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and Needlework for girls will be taught, but Farmers and Tradesmen, who can afford to keep their children at school to an age when their minds become capable of application to higher studies, such as Geographv, Mathematics and History, may provide for them a competent course of Education in this school at a moderate expense.
Mr. Henrv Onesimus Moyse and Miss Facev will be the Master and Mistress of the respective schools.
The rate of payment will be as follows:
For children whose parents are poor, 2 shillings per quarter, if paid in advance, or, if paid weekly, 2 pence halfpenny per week.
For children of Fanners, Tradesmen and others in a position superior to that of a day-labourer, ten shillings per quarter, paid in advance.
Within a few years there were about 100 pupils at this school. An important part of the syllabus was gardening and land nearby was used for this purpose. The Infants had their school on the first floor until 1922 when they moved to Cross Hayes. This area became unsafe before World War II (is that why the Infants moved?) and it was only used for light storage. However with the influx of evacuees in 1940 more space was desperately needed and classes were once again held there, but the strengthening work was carried out a year later! It was not until the new Secondary Modern School opened in 1954 that this became a Primary School. In 1964 when the Grammar School vacated the site on Tetbury Hill, this school was combined with the Girls' School and moved into the old Grammar School building. The old Boys' School became the Arts Centre for the Corn Gastons School but fell into disuse in 2001.
Source: Charles Vernon
