Just been exploring GOOGLE BOOKS, there are quite a number of these books from the 1840 - 1860 period, they have odd snippets of comments on various schools with statistics about the schools in tables. Minutes of the Committee of Council on Education, with Appendices By Great Britain Privy Council. Committee on Education Published 1857 Couple of samples but many other Bolton schools covered Bolton, Emmanuel, May 30. An infant, school and a class-room are about to be erected. Boys' School.-One apprentice. Average daily attendance 200 ; arranged in seven classes. Besides the pupil teacher, three lads were presented as candidates. The result of such examination of the school, as I could find time for, was satisfactory in every respect. The neatness, order, and attention, were very great. Singing taught with good results by the pupil teacher ; the instruction active and efficient; the teaching of the pupil teacher, and of the candidates for apprenticeship, was particularly good ; great pains had clearly been taken to make it so. I regretted to hear that the master had resigned ; he is to be succeeded by another from the Battersea Training Institution. Girls' School.-One apprentice. Average attendance 104. Girls arranged in seven classes ; there is an assistant mistress besides the pupil teacher ; each monitor serves one day in the week. Order and attention not very good. Instruction in rather a better state than last year, and more of it ; but there was too great a tendency to answering by rote, and a want of active intelligence. The mistress could not be induced to pass the requisite examination, but promised to attend the next examination for certificates of merit. Dea ne, Jane 11. One apprentice. The day was unfortunate for my examination of the school, as it happened to be the annual school-feast day> and few of the younger children were present. Usual attendance between 40 and 50; of the first class, six boys were over 13, and four were 12 years old; arranged in five classes. Order good. The instruction came quite up to, and in some respects exceeded, the standard of last year. One buy worked simple and quadratic equations fairly. The boys sang by note pleasingly. The master has obtained a certificate of merit. Bolton, Christchurch, June 2. Fine school buildings, lately erected. The girls' school, on the first floor, is a particularly fine room. Boys' school, on the ground floor, only opened five months ago, since which time there have been three masters, and the present one has only been there two months. Children very young. Number present 93. Arranged in six classes. Order fair for the circumstances. Catechism well repeated, but moderately understood. Religious knowledge moderate. Reading very fair. Writing fair. Writing from memory fair. Arithmetic moderate. The school may probably be in a good state after reasonable time for producing results. Martin Briscoe Fort William M&LFHS | Gwynedd FHS