Feb 7 1902 The attendance this week shows improvement on that of last week; the average has increased 2 and the percentage has risen from 85 to 87.2. The children are attending much more punctually now- the late scholars being mainly those who are engaged to carry out milk in the morning.
Feb 10 1902 Miss White has returned to her duties after being absent since Wednesday (5th) through sickness. I have received through the secretary 3 medals for perfect attendance from the “Day School Association”.
Feb 15 1902 Pupil Teacher (P.T.) Hodgeson gave a lesson to Standards VI and VII on Volcanoes. This seems work with which he is little familiar and the lesson was far from satisfactory- but he is a willing and industrious teacher and more practice in giving model lessons will, I have no doubt, greatly improve matters
Mar 3 1902 The Quarterly Report from the Crosthwaite Pupil Teacher* Centre, Whitehaven was received today and is as follows- relating to P.T. Hodgeson:
Arithmetic 40/100 –Attend to accuracy
Grammar 47/70
Composition 19/30 –Fair
Geography 37/66 –Good
History 35/60 –Good
Teaching 53/70
Penmanship 13/20
Dictation 15/20 –Fairly Good
Algebra 30/60 –Good so far as done
Euclid 50/60 TOTAL: 59.4%
Punctuality- Good
Home Lessons- Very Good
General Remarks- This student shows earnestness in his work and is making good progress. He would do well to read more widely. L. Gilmore, Superintendent.
* Pupil Teacher (PT): Young (14+) apprentice teacher who worked as junior assistant in return for small allowance and opportunity to continue studies, often at a Pupil Teacher Centre.
Mar 14 1902 Drill for girls this morning instead of Reading. Drill has been omitted this week until today owing to wet weather preventing classes getting into playground. The vicar, Mr Parker, taught Scripture to upper division this morning at the usual time.
Mar 27 1902 The result of this term’s examination shows encouraging improvement in some of the class work.
Arithmetic is still very weak throughout the school but especially in Standards V and II
Writing + Spelling much improved but needs me careful and continued attention
Reading Fairly good- some read with very much improved expression. Standard II is monotonous and needs good pattern reading.
Recitation Standards II and III backward.
Geography Improved
English Improved
Singing Steadily Improving
Drawing Much improvement is showing in all classes
Standard II is backward and needs my careful teaching in order to effect improvement. The arithmetic of standard V is also in a very backward condition.
April 11 1902 Mr Todd is absent from school today owing to sickness. The attendance this week has been good, except on Monday, having produced a percentage of 88.7. During the Easter holiday the small classroom has been furnished with 6 bench- desks to seat 25 children. This is a great boon to the children of standard II who up to the present have been sitting on low benches with nowhere to place their slates and books. Several upper standard scholars who have reached their 14thr birthday have left school for employment.
April 22 1902 Criticism lesson given to part of Standard V by P J Hodgeson on the “Cotton Industries of England”. The staff was present at the lesson and discussion and criticism followed the dismissal of the class.
April 25 1902 Half- holiday today in commemoration of the regularity having reached 90%. Certificates were distributed to 63 children who had made perfect attendance during the quarter ending March 31st.
May 2 1902 I have left the upper standards in arithmetic to P .T. this week, and have devoted special attention to the arithmetic of Standards V and II.
May 9 1902 The preparations for the annual May Festival held in the town have caused a falling off in the attendance, having reduced the average percentage of attendance from 90 the previous week to 88%. Holiday was given on Thursday the festival day, but the attendance was poor on Friday morning.
May 13 1902 The assistant mistress miss Hewson is absent from school today sick. The vicar this morning taught the upper division in Scripture.
May 15 1902 Both Miss Hewson and Miss White are absent from school today, sick, consequently the girls have had no sewing but took the drawing lesson with the boys. I have been unable to allow the P T the usual time for study as he has had to take charge of Standard V. The attendance has been unusually good today, there being over 93% of children present. One child from this department (Sarah Wilson) has reported a case of Scarlet Fever at her home and is consequently excluded from school attendance.
May 23 1902 The attendance this week has been lower than for six weeks previous to this. Owing to the “Hirings” the children have been required at home. The percentage of attendance has fallen to 87.9. Today afternoon school commenced at 1 O’ Clock owing to the very wet weather- marked registers at 1.20 and closed school at 3.30. The elementary science lessons this week in the upper standards have been on volcanoes with special reference to the recent catastrophe in the West Indies. The Vicar conducted a class in scripture this morning. Mr Todd, the assistant master, has twice this week, and several times previously, been very late in getting to school in the morning owing to the weather and breakdown in his bicycle. I have suggested to him that he should live in Cockermouth instead of Broughton Moor as now.
June 2 1902 General rejoicing in the town this afternoon on the arrival of the news that peace was proclaimed in South Africa. Marked registers early and dismissed school soon after 3 O’ Clock.
Aug 11 1902 Re-opened school this morning after midsummer holidays of five weeks. Admitted 15 boys and 12 girls from Infant Department.
Aug 22 1902 The good attendance of last week has been well maintained. We have now got well started with our year’s work and have received a new set of geography readers today learning on the colonies. The crowded state of the school makes it very difficult to conduct such lessons as drawing. The excess of numbers has been mostly caused by the change of school year to end of July instead of end of November thus compelling the admission of children from the infant department before the elder scholars, many of whom leave school about Christmas, have passed out of the school.
Songs Taught 1901 +2
Round- Spider and the Fly
Joyman of Nuremburg
Morning Advances
With the Hunter Wild Halloo
Birds are in the Greenwood
Horns and Hounds in Chorus. Round.
Gather Rosebuds
Playtime
The Minstrel Boy
Gaily through the Greenwood
Oct 6 1902 Aid Grant approved by Board of Education dated Oct 3rd 1902. Total £101, 14s 9d The grant is made for the purposes named below:
To maintain present charge for salaries- £60
Better instruction of P.T.s at Crosthwaite P.T. Centre- £23 10s
Repair offices and school floor- £18
Perfect attendance medals- 4s 9d
Nov 5 1902 There are now 21 children excluded from school owing to an attack of the mumps. The Medical Officer visited the schools yesterday and ordered all children reported as suffering from ‘Mumps’ to be excluded from school for four weeks.
Nov 14 1902 The attendance is very low, there are now 30 cases of mumps and the attendance has dropped to an average of 153 with 206 children on the books. A percentage of 76.
Dec 5 1902 Meeting of managers this evening to sign form and to transact other business. At this meeting the committee granted the request of the master to retain the services of James Hodgeson who terminated his apprenticeship as Pupil Teacher on Dec 31. His salary to be £50 p.a.