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England's public schools (elite private boarding schools) could be and often were very rough places. For several centuries there were no clear age at which boys were asdmitted. Thus you have a much wider age range than is the case at today's public schools. Many had no definite age for accepting children, but were not generally suitable for younger boys. And few schools made serious provision for the younger pre-teen boys at the schools. With the advent of the 19th century and the changes wrought by the industrial revolution, the growing middle-class began to become concerned aboutt a range of social issues such as child land women's labor. Among the social issues of concern was education. England began building a state educatuin system and the publication of Thomas Hughe's John Brown's School Days (1857) helped promote major changes at these very traditional schools. One was the standardization of admission ages. This begame set at about 13-years of age at most of the schools. At about the same time we see preparatory schools appearing for the younger boys. Clrics or public school masters were often the individuals founding the new schools. They were designed to prepare the yonger boys for the rigors of public school life, hence the term preparatory. . Here age levels varied, but 8 years of age begame the common age of entry. The prep schools were mostly set up as boarding schools and persued an academic and sports program designed to help the boys do well at their public school. Early schools were founded as private schools by headmasters of varying backgrounds who often owned the school. From these early foundations, most of the schools have evolved into charitable trusts. This was a process that often followed the retirement of the original owners. Charitable trusts offered importznt tax bnefits.
England's famed public schools (elite private boarding schools) date to the 16th century and even by the 19th century could be and often were very rough places. For several centuries there were no clear age at which boys were asdmitted. Thus you have a much wider age range than is the case at today's public schools. Many had no definite age for accepting children, but were not generally suitable for younger boys. And few schools made serious provision for the younger pre-teen boys at the schools. With the advent of the 19th century and the changes wrought by the industrial revolution, the growing middle-class began to become concerned aboutt a range of social issues such as child land women's labor. Among the social issues of concern was education. England began building a state educatuin system and the publication of Thomas Hughe's John Brown's School Days (1857) helped promote major changes at these very traditional schools. One was the standardization of admission ages. This begame set at about 13-years of age at most of the schools. At about the same time we see preparatory schools appearing for the younger boys. Clerics or public school masters were often the individuals founding the new schools. They were designed to prepare the yonger boys for the rigors of public school life, hence the term preparatory. . Here age levels varied, but 8 years of age begame the common age of entry. The prep schools were mostly set up as boarding schools and persued an academic and sports program designed to help the boys do well at their public school. Early schools were founded as private schools by headmasters of varying backgrounds who often owned the school. Unform trends were rather informal in the 19th centuty, but this varied and had begun to change by the end of the century.
The prepatory school was an innovation in the 19th century. They were schools that prepared younger boys for the public (private boarding) schhols and at the same time protected the younger boys from the rigors involved. The public schools with teenagers could be very rough places. The worst instances of abuses had disappeared by the advent of the 20th century. The older boys still played an important role in governance but by the 20th century were closely monitored by the headmaster and masters. The prep schools followed the institutions and organiation of the public schools with of course the younger boys bing more closely monitored. And by the 20th century we no longer see mostly small schools with very limited facilities. Some prep schools by the turn-of-the century were very well estabished with substantial numbers of students and improved facilities. We also see more schools requiring a uniform. Before the turn-of-the century boys wore mostly their own suits with Eton collars. Younger boys often wore sailor suits when they first arrived. After the turn-of-the century we se schools chosing a suit as a school standard as was common in the public schools. World War I was another turning point. We see Eton collars going out style and many schools began adopting colored blazers as part of the uniform which coordinated caps and ties. Many also required short pants and destibctive knee socks. Sandals becme standard. Gradually secondary education expanded. Quite a number of parents who could not afford the public schools, but sent their children to prep schools to prepare them for secondary schools, often grammar schools. World War II was even more of a turning point. After the War, Britain made aajor commitment to secondary education. And the Socialist policies of the new Labour Governent adversly affected the economy. This affected the ability of ordinary people to afford private school fees. Unfavorable tax laws also hurt privately owned schools. And by the 1970s we see many small prep schools that had closed or were in the process of closing. Many of the schools survived by convering into charitable trusts toavois onerous taxes. This was a process that often followed the retirement of the original owners. Charitable trusts offered importznt tax bnefits and greater stability. We note many schools simplifying the uniforms. Another develop was coeducation. Many boys' schools began accepting girls as a way of maintaining roles and surviving economically. We note a revival of private schools, including prep schools, by the late-20th century as many parents became concerned by preceived decking stndards inth state schools. Another notable development is that an increasing number of parents, especially the mothers, began concerned aboutvsending younger children to boarding schools. Rolls in day schools increased and the number of day students at boarding schools increased.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals
