Schools in North Petherton and the Wider Parish

Education in North Petherton developed gradually from charity schools, church teaching and private academies into board schools and modern state provision. The records show a rich educational history, with schools in the main village and in surrounding settlements such as North Moor Green, North Newton, Somerset Bridge, Rydon, Fordgate and Buncombe Brook.

North Petherton Community Primary School

The main modern school in the village is North Petherton Community Primary School, located at School Fields. It serves primary-aged children and continues a long tradition of education in the village.

The history of schooling in North Petherton is closely linked with the church. A church Sunday school existed before the development of full-time day schooling. In 1836, James Toogood helped establish a day school from the existing Sunday school. Around 1837, a school building was provided west of the church.

In 1875, education in the area changed when a School Board was created for North Petherton and St Michaelchurch. A new Board School was built east of the church in 1877. This school was designed to educate boys, girls and infants, showing the growing importance of organised elementary education.

By the early 20th century, the school had hundreds of pupils and ran evening continuation classes. These evening classes were important because they gave older children and working young people a chance to continue learning after the normal school day.

The modern North Petherton Community Primary School is therefore the successor to a long line of local educational provision, beginning with church-based teaching and developing into formal state education.

Wroth and National School / Blue Coat School

One of the most important early schools in North Petherton was the Wroth charity school, later linked with the National School. It originated from the charity of Sir Thomas Wroth, who died in 1721. His endowment was intended to clothe and educate poor boys.

Land was later purchased at Lyng, and by the late 18th century the charity was educating around 20 boys. The school became known as the Blue Coat School because the pupils were provided with blue clothing.

Another benefactor, Thomas Bacon, added to the educational provision, and John Slade built a schoolroom in Pound Street between 1787 and 1796. This gave the charity school a more permanent home.

In 1840, the Wroth charity school merged with the National School. This reflected a wider national movement in which religious organisations supported the education of poorer children.

Directory records show the school in operation during the 19th century. In 1842, James Banfield was listed as master of the Wroth and National School. In 1852–53, John W. Havill was listed as master and Elizabeth Ridge as mistress.

North Moor Green / Moorland School

The settlement of North Moor Green, also known as Moorland, had its own school. This was important because Moorland was some distance from the main village and had its own community life.

A school was recorded there in 1837, teaching about 60 children. The children paid one penny a week, which was a common arrangement in early village schools. A National School was built at North Moor Green in 1857 and was later enlarged or rebuilt.

There were difficulties in the late 1860s connected with local religious disagreements, and the school was closed for a period. It later reopened and came under the School Board system.

By 1903, the school had 76 pupils and also provided evening classes. In 1897, it was recorded as a mixed Board School with space for 140 children and an average attendance of 85. William Skinnard was listed as master.

The school shows how education was extended beyond the main village to serve the wider rural population.

North Newton Community Primary School

North Newton was historically part of the wider North Petherton parish area and had its own school history. A school was supported there in 1837 by Sir Thomas Acland and by parents. After the establishment of the School Board, a new school building was provided in 1877.

By 1903, North Newton School had 176 pupils and provided evening classes. Like other rural schools, its numbers later declined during the 20th century as population patterns changed.

The modern North Newton Community Primary School continues this tradition. It is located on Church Road in North Newton and serves the local village and surrounding area.

Somerset Bridge Primary School

Somerset Bridge School opened in 1903 and served children from Somerset Bridge and part of Bridgwater. Its creation reflects the growth of settlement and schooling needs on the edge of Bridgwater and within the wider North Petherton area.

The school had 168 pupils in 1910, 160 in 1915, 192 in 1935 and 102 in 1983. These figures show how school populations changed over time.

Today, Somerset Bridge Primary School is a large mainstream primary school on the outskirts of Bridgwater. It serves children aged 4 to 11 and also has nursery provision for younger children. Its location makes it important for families living between Bridgwater and North Petherton.

Petherton Park School – Phoenix Academy

A modern specialist school in the North Petherton area is Petherton Park School – Phoenix Academy, located at Brook Farm, Newton Road. It is a special school and forms part of the area’s current educational provision.

Its presence shows that North Petherton’s school provision is no longer limited to traditional village primary education. The area now includes specialist education as well as mainstream schooling.

Rydon / Cheeke and Stodgell Charity School

At Rydon, a charity school was established through the generosity of Dorothy Cheeke around 1687. It was intended to educate six or more children. In 1701, Henry Stodgell added further support for four more children.

Although the school later closed, the educational charity continued. In 1933, the Cheeke and Stodgell Foundation was established to promote the education of poor children.

This school is important because it shows that charitable education existed in parts of the parish well before the creation of state schooling.

Congregational, Wesleyan and Sunday Schools

Religious groups played a major role in education in North Petherton. In the early 19th century, Sunday schools were especially important because they gave children basic instruction at a time when many worked during the week or had limited access to full-time schooling.

By 1835, the parish had several day schools and Sunday schools. The Church Sunday School had around 150 children, the Congregational Sunday School had around 160, and the Wesleyan Sunday School had around 70.

The Congregational church also maintained a British day school from 1861 until about 1878. This shows that different Christian denominations contributed to education, often running their own schools or Sunday schools.

Private Academies, Boarding Schools and Dame Schools

Alongside charity and church schools, North Petherton also had private schools and academies. These served families who could afford to pay fees and often provided a broader or more formal education.

The 19th-century directories list several people running schools or academies, including John Alexander, Mary Alexander, Thomas S. Crosswell, Elizabeth Mulford and the Misses Shirley. Pigot’s Directory of 1842 also lists Priscilla and Selina Manwaring as running a boarding school.

Elizabeth Mulford ran an infant school in Fore Street from about 1840 to 1872. The Crosswell boarding school operated for boys and was active from the early 19th century into the 1850s. In 1851, it had 13 boys aged between 10 and 15. The Alexander schools were located east of the church and continued until the mid-19th century before moving to Bridgwater.

These private schools show that North Petherton had a varied educational landscape, with provision for infants, boys, girls, boarders and fee-paying pupils.

Buncombe Brook School

Buncombe Brook School was established south of the village around 1836 by Lady Slade and Richard Meade King. It taught up to 100 pupils and offered subjects such as reading, writing, arithmetic, needlework, grammar and religious instruction.

The school was short-lived and closed around 1837 after the National School opened in the village. Even so, it shows the efforts made by local patrons to provide education before the state system became fully developed.

Fordgate School

A school was also recorded at Fordgate in 1838. Less detail survives in the available records, but its existence shows that smaller settlements within the parish also had attempts at local education.