Talk:List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom

Schools List
Lists are a good source of information. However they may be dated and can sometimes be replaced by categories. Victuallers 09:30, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

There is much claim and counter-claim in Wikipedia over the various "oldest" schools in the UK - with the best list only including independent schools. This article is intended to redress the balance and include both state and independent schools. It sets out the claimed dates and (eventually) the sources. I expect much comment and movement of claims, as the various sources are reviewed. Ian Cairns 08:19, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

I would like to add "Dunfermline High School", Fife Scotland which is still in existence today. It was founded in 1468 and so should be recorded in the fourteen century list. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.18.17.206 (talk) 16:40, 16 August 2011 (UTC)

I'll also add Felkirk School built in 1580 next to Felkirk Church, near Hodroyd, South Hiendley, Yorkshire. Fully restored and looking well

What is the value of having a list of extant schools? Which ones are on it and which are not looks a little silly. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.173.144.213 (talk) 12:51, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Proof
I am concerned that an anon has edited out the table structure, which contained some citations of proof of antiquity. As it stands, the article is probably easier to amend, but, without a column for the earliest extant record, there is every chance for claim and counter-claim.

When the recent additional entries have settled down, I suggest that this list moves back to table structure to maintain that all-important citation column. Ian Cairns 23:48, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

I think that I'm right in saying that Winchester College has the oldest continually recorded history: documents relating to its foundation (such as statutes), lists of scholars, etc. Millbanks (talk) 10:22, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Blue Coat School
Most of the Blue Coat Schools are probably eligable for inclusion on this list. Sladen (talk) 06:03, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

Northern Ireland
I was scanning through England and Wales to see if there were any other schools with the same founding date as mine in Northern Ireland and I discovered my school there. I suggest that you move all Nothern Ireland schools to the section entitled "The Kingdom of Ireland and Northern Ireland" as that is were they should go, I have already done this for Foyle and Londonderry College. mspence835 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mspence835 (talk • contribs) 19:49, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

Non-extant schools
The lead sentence says: "This list ... contains extant schools" and yet the first part of the England list is of non-extant schools. Wales likewise starts with an (incorrectly formatted) list of non-extant schools. We need to either: Which would editors prefer? Martin of Sheffield (talk) 15:49, 4 November 2017 (UTC)
 * 1) modify the lead or
 * 2) remove the non-extant schools.
 * No replies in just under 3 weeks. I'll go ahead and be WP:BOLD then.  I'm going for option 2, if anyone wants to start a list of extinct schools it can be on another page. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 14:24, 24 November 2017 (UTC)

Barrow 1618 Church of England Primary School
This school has recently (June '18) been added, but there is no link to any further information. The school website says on its home page "Our school was opened in September 2012, under the Free School legislation and occupies the site of one of Shropshire’s oldest known schools, founded in 1618 for the local working boys of the area." This would appear to exclude it from the list, however on the school's "about us">"our history" there is the statement: "For almost 400 years, the school in Barrow has catered for local communities and striven to offer a free, moral, practical and diverse education." The link to British History Online doesn't help in this matter.

Can anyone clarify: Is the existing free school a direct descendant of the original 1618 school with an unbroken (or very nearly so) history, or, is the school a new school which took over old buildings but with no other connection to the original? Martin of Sheffield (talk) 13:01, 18 June 2018 (UTC)


 * I have deleted the entry for the moment until appropriate sources can be found to justify inclusion. In 1618 the term primary school did not exist. This sound like a new establishment on an old site with no continuous educational presence. However, if you can find better evidence, please feel free to re-add it. Regards  Velella  Velella Talk 14:18, 18 June 2018 (UTC)


 * Wrong Barrow! You looked at http://barrowcofeschool.com/ which is Barrow CE Primary School, Great Barrow, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 7HW.  The school under question is http://www.barrow1618school.co.uk/ which is Barrow 1618 CofE Primary Free School, Barrow, Broseley, Shropshire, TF12 5BW.  I know it's easy, I got caught out when I first checked up! :-)


 * "In 1618 John Slaney, lord of Marsh, built a school on Barrow hill, which he maintained during his life and endowed by will proved in 1632: ... The master might take private pupils, but to earn his full salary he was to teach, free of charge, 20 poor boys to read and write, fitting them for apprenticeship." A P Baggs, G C Baugh, D C Cox, Jessie McFall and P A Stamper, 'Barrow', in A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 10, Munslow Hundred (Part), the Liberty and Borough of Wenlock, ed. C R J Currie (London, 1998), pp. 221-233. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/salop/vol10/pp221-233 [accessed 18 June 2018].


 * In 1618 "Poor boys" would be out to work or apprenticed by 12, so the school would have covered what today we would call primary. IMHO the question is whether the modern free school can legitimately don the mantle of the original 1618 school; if it can then there is justification for entry into the list.  I'll not revert your deletion pro. tem. but we do need to find out if there was continuity.  Regards, Martin of Sheffield (talk) 14:50, 18 June 2018 (UTC)

Oldest 'named' schools on historic record
I'm sure the Celtic teacher in Iceni will be very upset that Wikipedia does not consider her lessons on The Ever-Living Ones taught to every generation of her tribe was not considered a school. ModernMephisto (talk) 17:53, 17 November 2022 (UTC)


 * Could look for archaeological finds on pagan pedagogy. They had buildings and their lore had to be passed down from generation to generation. ModernMephisto (talk) 18:05, 17 November 2022 (UTC)