Schools of Easter Ross Peninsula
By Douglas Gordon
There is not a lot of schools about and I know in Bindal Farmhouse there was a room called the school room now our kitchen, so a lot of big farms had either their own teacher or were home educated. The working class people were not so well educated, but only for those who could afford it and the Church of Scotland which was the main church at one time had schools to help educate people then when the Free Church broke away from the established church in 1843 they set up their own schools in separate buildings from the church to educate children. That is why you see Free Church schools and not Church of Scotland schools. Local church schools were replaced after the 1872 Education Act when local authority schools were built.
After pupils graduated from primary school they went to Tain Royal Academy. In the days when they had eleven plus exam those that failed were sent to Hilton of Cadboll School, but once that was phased out everyone went to Tain Royal Academy.
And that was always the drawback of the 11-plus: its brutal partitioning of fate.
A point or two either side of the pass mark and your life could be radically different.
The selection of pupils in this way began in the wake of the 1944 Education Act. Every child took the exam in the final year of primary school; one of the perceived advantages was that bright pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds could be given the chance to succeed.
In Scotland, those who sat the 11-plus had two potential fates: the senior secondary, which offered a chance to sit Highers and go on to university, or the junior secondary, which led to life in a trade or an unskilled job. At just 11 years old, your future could be sealed with no hope of a retrial.
The exam was officially abolished across the UK in 1965 with the introduction of comprehensive education.
Portmahomack
Tarbat old Primary school was a public school, known locally as the Port School.
Still the main school in village and for Rockfield, my father remembers in his young days probably about 1920, 50 kids walked from Rockfield to Portmahomack School.
Built 1873 and was extended in 1964 (info from Tarbat old school web site)
Donald Urquhart remembers Port school football team playing against Geanies School.
There was a school at Balnabruach Free church school which would have been built about 1843.
James Macdonald was the last man to live in it he worked on our farm till he retired.
Wester Seafield school, you can see in photo the school well was across road and on Mill lade that went to Lower Seafield dam and mill. The school is now a house and you see it when passing as it is beside the road.
Geanies School at Lower Geanies closed 1960s
Balmuchy School at Balmuchy cross roads closed 1950s
Inver School
Map of 1872 shows school in Inver village which is now the Church of Scotland meeting hall in Inver in New Street. Originally the SPCK school, see link below.
http://www.scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/inver-meeting-house
SPCK schools
http://www.spck.org.uk/about-spck/history/
Inver school public school map of 1950 shows school outside village and new school today is beside old school. New school built 2001 and the old school house was knocked down leaving old school and new school buildings
Hill of Fearn and Fearn Mill schools
The map of 1872 shows 2 schools, Free Church school in School Street, Hill of Fearn and another school at Fearn Mill where there was a small village with 2 mills. Which could also have been Church of Scotland near the abbey.
Hill of Fearn public School was built 1873 where the school is today, once the county council took over the running of schools from the churches
It has famous pupil Peter Fraser, who became Prime Minister of New Zealand 1940-1949.
Balintore 1872 map
Hilton of Cadboll School
Hilton of Cadboll public school 1950 map
Pitcalnie School. Public school
My Aunt, Anne Gordon did a report on Pitcalnie School, click on link below.
In the book of Nigg-A Changing Parish (1977) by Anne Gordon (my aunt Anne)
Nigg First schools were for boys in 1716 and later girls schools perhaps in Houses.
Nigg School opened in the late 19th century as did Pitcalnie, it celebrated 100 years and both schools closed 1991
In the book of Nigg-A Changing Parish (1977) by Anne Gordon (my aunt Anne)
Nigg First schools were for boys in 1716 and later girls schools perhaps in Houses.
Nigg School opened in the late 19th century as did Pitcalnie, it celebrated 100 years and both schools closed 1991
Nigg school map of 1872
Nigg School 1950
Logie Easter School on A9 near Glastullich farm map of 1872
Logie Easter School 1950
Tain Knockbreck School
Tain Royal Academy
Following information from Tain Royal Academy website
Other schools existed in Tain during the 19th century but after the 1872 Education Act only TRA and the Parochial School (now Knockbreck Primary School) survived. TRA continued as a fee-paying school run by directors until the 1918 Education ACT when it was taken over by Ross and Cromarty County Council. In 1937 both local schools united.