School Records

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The primary source of education in early part of the nineteenth century came in the form of the National Society which was set up to teach the poor in the principles of the Anglican Church. The British & Foreign Society promoting non-sectarian education followed. Finally by 1833 the Government had decided to fund the schools and by 1870 there were 300 British Schools in Wales and over 1,000 National Schools. The Education Act of 1876 made it compulsory that all children should receive some sort of education and 1880 Act made it compulsory up to the age of ten. In 1893 it had risen again to eleven and finally in 1889 it had become twelve. In 1891 Elementary Education became free of any charge and the school system had finally arrived.

The importance of school records with regard to family history cannot be understated.

The ADMISSION REGISTERS contain such information as:-
Date of admission
Date of birth
Address of child
Parent or Guardian (normally fathers name)
Fathers trade
Last school attended (indicates families prior town)
Classes attended (standard 1,2,3.etc)
Leaving date and reason (sometimes mentions where
family are moving to)

School Admission Register Indexes held by E.G.G.R.A.

Abersychan – British School 1898 to 1954
Abersychan – Victoria Village 1913 to1918
Blaenavon – Forgeside Infants 1883 to 1936
Blaenavon – Park Street 1934 to1951
Blaenavon Catholic School 1919 to 1992
Blaenavon Garn Yr Erw Infants 1898 to 1912
Blaenavon Garn Yr Erw mixed 1894 to 1939
Blaenavon Hillside Higher 1919 to1940
Blaenavon Pwlldu 1871 to 1917
Cwmbran – St Dials 1899 to 1916
Cwmffrwdoer Infants 1913 to 1953
Cwmffrwdoer Mixed 1932 to 1955
Garndiffaith 1875 to 1947
Glascoed Council School 1882 to 1967
Goytre British School 1868 to 1963
Griffithstown 1882 to1955
Mamhilad Mixed 1907 to 1949
Pantygasseg Mixed & Infants 1884 to1981
Pontnewydd Infants 1909 to1958
Pontnewynydd Mixed 1903 to 1940
Pontymoile Mixed 1909 to 1936
Pontypool Park Terrace Infants 1898 to 1907
Pontypool Park Terrace Junior 1903 to 1923
Pontypool Town School 1898 to 1954
Pontypool Twmpath Infants 1899 to 1926
Pontypool Tranch Infants 1927 to 1936
Pontypool West Mon Grammar 1914 to 1918
Pontypool West Mon Grammar 1947 to 1984
Pontypool Workhouse School 1863 to 1891
Pontypool George Street 1879 to 1919
Pontypool Conway Rd Catholic School 1889 to 1946 (missing 1903-1913)
Sebastapol Wern School 1895 to 1966
Varteg 1887 to 1995

The transcribing of Admission Registers is an on-going project by E.G.G.R.A and will finally entail ALL the registers for our area of expertise.