The Dr Buckeribge trust has been serving the parish of Bradwell by providing free education for nearly 300 years.
Important Dates in the History of the School
1697 Dr Nicholas Buckeridge became Rector of Bradwell-on-Sea
1723 Dr Buckeridge retired to West Ham
1727 Death of Dr Buckeridge. His Will bequeathed the rent from 13 acres of land in Mile End Road London to found a school in Bradwell. Named Dr Buckeridge’s Schools
1753 Building of school and Headmaster’s house on site of present School House East
1818 Part of Bradwell Lodge’s garden (then The Rectory) given by Sir Henry Bate-Dudley to enlarge the school
1861 Further expansion of school. 3 main classrooms built, house for a Headmistress to teach the girls on site of School House West. Funds came from compulsory purchase of Buckeridge’s land in Mile End Road for railways.
1903 St Lawrence school closed - all children to Bradwell school
1913 Boys and girls taught together, became a mixed school under one Head
1939 Tom Driberg (owner of gave land to school to build a canteen – now the area of the playground
or 1945?
1953 Addition of toilet block
1958 School stopped being for all ages and became a primary school
1963 Open air swimming pool built
1973 Swimming pool covered by Parent Teachers Association
1974 Relocatable classroom purchased by Trustees
1980 Modernisation and extension
1984 Purchase of school garden from the diocese
1985 Sale of School House East
1990 Trustees purchased part of Lodge kitchen garden for new hall and major improvements.
School garden put on the market
1994 Buildings officially opened in February had been used since September 1993
1996 School garden plots sold in June.
Known Headmasters
1837-1878 John May
1878-1913 Walter Hoather
1913-1924 George Wombwell
1924-1930 Henry Birkett
1930-1933 Laurence Coates
1933-1945 John Dodd
1945-1954 George Scrivener
1954-1958 Charles Johnson
1958- Raymond Orchard
Mrs Hurling?
David Rees
Pauline Ward
Lyndsey Wood
Ruth Wright
Buckeridge Trust School Trustees
Ex officio:
Rector as Chairman
Two churchwardens
(Currently Teresa Reed and David Thorpe)
Managing trustees:
Trustee appointed by the Ex Officio trustees (Currently Michael Pudney)
Trustee appointed by the Diocese with a recommendation from the trustees (Currently Bill Hiron)
Current Clerk and Treasurer is James Smith
Bradwell
Extracts from Ray Orchard’s Notes
Inspection Report
1871 Bradwell 1055 inhabitants
900 of class whose children may be expected to attend elementary schools.(?)
1870 242 children 100 boys
74 girls
68 infants
1910 198 children 59 boys
79 girls
60 infants
1913 165 children Proposal to reorganise under one headmaster. Board not agreeable.
1921 Assistant Mistress absent 4 months
Upper Infants “Dullish girl of 15”
St 1 Ex pupil teacher
II – VII Head – 74 children
1925 May. Since appointment of Head 8 months previously everything improved.
1928 Not much criticism.
1934 New Head. Good.
1937 62 on roll. Water laid on 1936. Good report.
Notes from Headmaster John May’s Report 1871
1870 Wealthy tenant farmers – poor farmers non-existent.
Children (age 3 – 12) pay 1d. or 2d. per week with exceptions.
Combined fees with night s***(?) £30 per year
Trust had £9,341 8s. 9d. in Consolidated stock, £29 in the bank
Head receives £120 a year - pension £50 a year
John May “wholly superfluous” – about 60 years old – much respected Head for 33 years