The School Room
A little learning
The museum itself is situated within the village’s infant and girls’ school which was built by Sir Thomas Parkyns, 5th Baronet in 1852. He was a wealthy landowner and a Ruddington local.
The room originally held two classes, one at either end, which were separated by large wooden doors. These days, parents and politicians easily get themselves worked up about busy classrooms, which are defined by most as having 30 pupils or more. There were 50-60 children in every class in Ruddington in the 19th century!
With its single and double Edwardian desks, this is a world away from the modern school room. Some visitors may remember the discipline of the period and the hand bell on display, which was used to restore order, may yet send shivers through some.
This exhibit usually creates a lasting impression on young visitors who take great pleasure in comparing it to their modern classrooms. In the school room on display, pupils would have used slates and slate pencils to write with, a far cry from the interactive white boards, laptops and computers that have increasingly become standard in modern classrooms. Children are welcome to have a go at writing with pens and ink which can be found in the teacher’s desk.
