Whippingham Schools
A National School was established at Whippingham, Isle of Wight in 1848.
In 1864 a new National Schools building for 120 children was built by Queen Victoria to the design of A. J. Humbert[1] working closely with Prince Albert (who had died in 1861).
On 17 August 1864, Queen Victoria and other members of the Royal Family entertained the boys and girls of the Whippingham schools in the new school-house. Viscount and Viscountess Gort and other local dignities also attended[2].
In 1898 the average attendance was 104, boys, girls and infants[3]. In 1911 the capacity was recorded as 150 children and the average attendance was 121[4].
Some time, possibly between the two world wars, a building with two additional classrooms was built across the main road, on the corner of Alverstone Road. These classrooms closed in September 1983 after two new classrooms had been built on the Beatrice Avenue site. After a term being used by the IW College of Arts and Technology the building became surplus[5] and was acquired, and is still (2021) run, by the Whippingham Community Association.
The building on the Beatrice Avenue site was further extended in 1996. Although the original school building is not listed, the style of the additions are very much in keeping with the original style.
In 2010 the Whippingham Primary School merged with East Cowes Primary School and formed the Queensgate Foundation Primary School with plans to move at some point to a single site[6]. In 2012 the Queensgate Foundation Primary Schools moved to the refurbished premises of the Osborne Middle School, and the Whippingham site was sold by the Isle of Wight Council to the Priory School, a private school previously based in Luccombe[7].
To commemorate 150 years of education at Whippingham, a plaque on the original building was unveiled by HRH Princess Beatrice of York on 16th June 2014.
Today, (2021), the Priory School, an independent co-educational day school for boys and girls from 4 to 18 years, still occupy the Beatrice Avenue site.
- ↑ Isle of Wight County Press -11 March 2011
- ↑ The Morning Post 19 August 1864
- ↑ 1898 Kelly's Hampshire and Isle of Wight Directory
- ↑ 1911 Kelly's Hampshire and Isle of Wight Directory
- ↑ Isle of Wight County Press 9 March 1984
- ↑ Isle of Wight County Press 1 October 2010
- ↑ Isle of Wight County Press 3 February 2012
