Chillerton Schools
A school and teacher’s house were built in Chillerton around 1840 at the expense of James Jolliffe Spickernell, of Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight. This was on the site now (2021) occupied by the Chillerton Club and Reading Room. In 1855 the school was extended with an additional wing being added, also at the expense of Mr. Spickernell[1].
In 1875, the Chillerton School was taken under the control of the Carisbrooke School Board and the buildings were leased from Mr. Spickernell, who acted as a manager of the school until he resigned in 1881[2].
Later in 1881 the Carisbrooke School Board received a letter from the Education Department stating that a larger school was required at Chillerton and that the grant would not be paid until the Board promised to make a satisfactory enlargement[3]. A School Board meeting in January 1882 reviewed an offer from Mr. Spickernell to enlarge the school on condition that the Board took a 21 year lease[4]. However that offer was obviously not taken up as a new school and teacher’s house were built in 1883 on land purchased from Mr. Richard Young. The architect was Mr. W. T. Stratton and the tender from James Hayden of Sandown (£1690) was accepted to build both the school and teacher's house[5]. The School Board took a 60 year loan for £2100 from the Prudential Insurance Society to cover the cost[6].
The new Board School (under the Carisbrooke School Board) was for the children of Chillerton, Gatcombe and part of Wootton (a detached part of that Parish) for 150 children opened in 1883. In 1898 the average attendance was 90 children[7].
In 1911 the Elementary School had an average attendance of 80 children[8].
In 1958 the school took some of the children from Rookley Primary School after it closed.
In 2021 the Chillerton school is governed by the Stenbury Federation as the Chillerton and Rookley School.
With attendance of 35 at the beginning of 2021, a proposal was made to close the school and move the children to Godshill Primary School - as of July 2021, this proposal was shelved[9].
- ↑ Hampshire Advertiser - 4 August 1855
- ↑ (Hampshire Independent - 19 February 1881
- ↑ Hampshire Telegraph - 17 August 1881
- ↑ Hampshire Telegraph - 18 January 1882
- ↑ Hampshire Independent - 14 February 1883
- ↑ Hampshire Independent - 18 July 1883
- ↑ 1898 Kelly's Hampshire and Isle of Wight Directory
- ↑ 1911 Kelly's Hampshire and Isle of Wight Directory
- ↑ Isle of Wight Radio
