Asset type
Historic building - Education
Local Listing Reference
LLHA0062
Conservation Area (CA)
No CA
Thematic Survey
Brighton Board Schools
Description
The 1870 Education Act established a form of universal and compulsory education at primary level in England & Wales. School Boards were established to deliver this education. Historic England have stated of Board Schools in a national context that “collectively they amount to one of the most important campaigns of public building ever undertaken in this country” (Listing Selection Guide: Education Buildings, April 2011).
The Brighton School Board was established immediately after that Act. Thomas Simpson was appointed as the Board’s surveyor/architect and was joined by his son Gilbert Murray Simpson as the partnership Thomas Simpson & Son from 1890. The partnership also designed some schools for the Hove School Board, after 1876, and for the Brighton & Preston School Board, after 1878. Their schools span the period 1870-1903. The earlier buildings are all of red brick with large white-painted windows, in Queen Anne Revival style. The later ones bring in limited use of terracotta, stone and pebbledash and incorporate decorative chimneys and turrets in an Edwardian Free Style.
The only surviving Hove Board School is in Connaught Road (1884) and is grade II listed. In Brighton nine Board Schools currently remain and four of these are grade II listed: Finsbury Road of 1881 (now converted to flats); Downs Junior School, Rugby Road of 1890; Stanford Junior School, Stanford Road of 1893; and St Luke’s Primary School, St Luke’s Terrace of 1903. All are by Simpson.
The other five (all by Simpson) are: The Circus Street School of 1884-85 (now vacant); Elm Grove Primary School, Elm Grove of 1893; Queen’s Park Primary School, Park Street (Freshfield Place) of 1880; Preston Road School, Preston Road (now owned by City College) of 1880; and York Place School, Pelham Street (now part of City College) of some time before 1876.
A. Architectural, design and artistic interest
i. The Brighton Board Schools represent a consistent design approach and use of materials that is very clearly of its time and place.
ii. The schools are generally good quality examples of state school design of the period and represent remaining surviving examples of a once more common type, but with variations in plan form. The Elm Grove and Preston Road schools have particular architectural flourish and detailing.
iv. Thomas Simpson was a notable architect of the period in a local regional context
v. The school buildings have clear aesthetic interest derived from their conscious design by Simpson. The Elm Grove and Preston Road schools have particular architectural flourish and detailing.
B. Historic and evidential interest
ii. The Brighton Board School embarked on a major school building programme, bringing education to even the poorest children. The present day appearance of the school buildings has not generally compromised this interest.
C. Townscape interest
ii. The Elm Grove school building makes a very positive contribution to the street scene in Elm Grove, contrasting in scale, form and materials with the predominantly two storey terraced housing.
E. Rarity and representativeness
ii. There are known to have been thirteen purpose-built Board Schools in Brighton, designed by Simpson or Simpson & Son and of these nine remain.
F. Intactness
i. The Elm Grove, Park Street and Preston Road school buildings remain generally intact externally and any later additions are clearly subservient.
ii. The Elm Grove and Park Street schools remain in state primary school use, as original.
Date of inclusion
2015
