St Matthew's Primary School
Encyclopedia
St Matthew’s Primary School is a primary school
in Cambridge
, England.
Situated in the heart of Cambridge, St Matthew’s is a non-denominational school catering for around 420 children aged between 3 and 11 (nursery to year 6), also with an affiliated after-school kids’ club.
St Matthew’s was established in 1963, though there have been various schools on the site since 1836. It is a feeder school for Parkside Community College
.
. The infants’ school was on East Road
, the boys’ and girls’ schools accessed through Schoolhouse Lane (off East Road).
National school
s were founded by the National Society
(founded in 1811), which had the aim of founding a Church school in every parish in England and Wales. The Old Schools was a trust founded in 1704 which at the time managed most of the schools in Cambridge. Previously these were dame schools, but from the early 19th century the trust adopted a policy of supporting Church of England
schools.
From the 1870s, the newly established St Matthew’s parish had a complex history of different schools’ sites and movement of pupils between them. There were four schools opened: Norfolk Street infants in 1875, York Street boys in 1878, Norfolk Street girls and Sturton Street infants in 1883.
The Barnwell schools were enlarged and rebuilt towards the end of the nineteenth century. In 1900 (at which time the school leaving age was 12) there was an average attendance of around 700 boys, girls & infants at Barnwell National, and 680 at the St Matthew’s schools in Norfolk Street, York Street, and Sturton Street. Barnwell boys’ school was occupied by the army in the First World War but restored to use afterwards.
In 1931 the Barnwell boys’ and girls’ schools were reconstituted as St George’s Senior School. The pupils at the infants school were transferred to St Matthew’s School, and the seniors at St Matthew’s Norfolk Street and York Street schools were transferred to St George’s (the juniors remaining). In 1933, the Norfolk Street girls’ and York Street boys’ were amalgamated. Under the 1944 Education Act
St George’s became East Road secondary modern
school.
In 1963, East Road school was closed, being replaced by the current St Matthew’s primary school, with the infants and juniors being transferred from the Norfolk Street and York Street schools, leaving St Matthew’s the only school remaining in the Barnwell area (the Norfolk Street schools survive today as a private house).
The site has now been extensively redeveloped, with much of the surrounding terraced housing being demolished (along Norfolk Street, Caroline Place, and Broad Street), and Schoolhouse Lane being incorporated into the school site. The main entrance is now from Norfolk Street (Caroline Place), with other entrances off Broad Street and Flower Street.
to the north, the railway to the east, Mill Road
to the south, and the Kite to the east, though many children travel from outside the catchment area.
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England.
Situated in the heart of Cambridge, St Matthew’s is a non-denominational school catering for around 420 children aged between 3 and 11 (nursery to year 6), also with an affiliated after-school kids’ club.
St Matthew’s was established in 1963, though there have been various schools on the site since 1836. It is a feeder school for Parkside Community College
Parkside Community College
Parkside Community College is a state secondary school with 600 places for children aged 11–16, situated in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. It is part of the Parkside Federation, along with Coleridge Community College-Admissions:...
.
History
The first schools on the St Matthew’s site were the Barnwell National schools for boys, girls, and infants, opened by the Old Schools in 1836. At the time the site was on the eastern edge of a rapidly expanding CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. The infants’ school was on East Road
East Road, Cambridge
East Road is a dual-carriageway road in the east of Cambridge, England. It is designated the A603 and forms part of Cambridge's inner ring road. The southwest end of East Road is next to Parker's Piece, at the junction with Parkside, Mill Road, and Gonville Place...
, the boys’ and girls’ schools accessed through Schoolhouse Lane (off East Road).
National school
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
s were founded by the National Society
National Society for Promoting Religious Education
The National Society for Promoting Religious Education, often just referred to as the National Society, is a Church of England body in England and Wales for the promotion of church schools and Christian education....
(founded in 1811), which had the aim of founding a Church school in every parish in England and Wales. The Old Schools was a trust founded in 1704 which at the time managed most of the schools in Cambridge. Previously these were dame schools, but from the early 19th century the trust adopted a policy of supporting Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
schools.
From the 1870s, the newly established St Matthew’s parish had a complex history of different schools’ sites and movement of pupils between them. There were four schools opened: Norfolk Street infants in 1875, York Street boys in 1878, Norfolk Street girls and Sturton Street infants in 1883.
The Barnwell schools were enlarged and rebuilt towards the end of the nineteenth century. In 1900 (at which time the school leaving age was 12) there was an average attendance of around 700 boys, girls & infants at Barnwell National, and 680 at the St Matthew’s schools in Norfolk Street, York Street, and Sturton Street. Barnwell boys’ school was occupied by the army in the First World War but restored to use afterwards.
In 1931 the Barnwell boys’ and girls’ schools were reconstituted as St George’s Senior School. The pupils at the infants school were transferred to St Matthew’s School, and the seniors at St Matthew’s Norfolk Street and York Street schools were transferred to St George’s (the juniors remaining). In 1933, the Norfolk Street girls’ and York Street boys’ were amalgamated. Under the 1944 Education Act
Education Act 1944
The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act, commonly named after the Conservative politician R.A...
St George’s became East Road secondary modern
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
school.
In 1963, East Road school was closed, being replaced by the current St Matthew’s primary school, with the infants and juniors being transferred from the Norfolk Street and York Street schools, leaving St Matthew’s the only school remaining in the Barnwell area (the Norfolk Street schools survive today as a private house).
The site has now been extensively redeveloped, with much of the surrounding terraced housing being demolished (along Norfolk Street, Caroline Place, and Broad Street), and Schoolhouse Lane being incorporated into the school site. The main entrance is now from Norfolk Street (Caroline Place), with other entrances off Broad Street and Flower Street.
Catchment area
The catchment area for St Matthew’s is broadly bounded by the River CamRiver Cam
The River Cam is a tributary of the River Great Ouse in the east of England. The two rivers join to the south of Ely at Pope's Corner. The Great Ouse connects the Cam to England's canal system and to the North Sea at King's Lynn...
to the north, the railway to the east, Mill Road
Mill Road, Cambridge
Mill Road is a street in southeast Cambridge, England. It runs southeast from near to Parker's Piece, at the junction with Gonville Place, East Road, and Parkside. It crosses the main railway line and links to the city's ring road . It passes through the wards of Petersfield and Romsey, which are...
to the south, and the Kite to the east, though many children travel from outside the catchment area.