A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



land running from High Street to Back Street,' given by Richard Pate. 

 Adjoining this building was the head master's residence. Two small 

 additional class-rooms were separated by the width of the playground from 

 the rest of the school. 



After due deliberation the governors passed resolutions : 



First (unanimously) : That new buildings were required. 

 Second : That they should not be built on the old site. 



On the second point the majority failed to carry with them Mr. W. H. 

 Gwinnett, a former pupil of the school, who exercised much influence in 

 Cheltenham. After discussing the suitability of available sites the governors 

 purchased, subject to the consent of the Charity Commissioners, about 

 14 acres of land in a more open part of Cheltenham, near Christchurch 

 (now the playing-fields of the Ladies' College), at a price of 120 an acre. 

 Here the school would have been surrounded by its own playing-fields. 



A public meeting was called to protest against the change of site. It 

 was neither large nor influential, but no public expression of opinion in 

 favour of the change was made in opposition to it. The Charity Com- 

 missioners, after inspecting the proposed site, refused their sanction, 

 and the governors were condemned to build on the old site in the 

 High Street. The decision, together with the fixing, by scheme, of the 

 usual leaving age at 17 years, had a prejudicial influence upon the future of 

 the school. 



On 14 December, 1887, the foundation-stone of new buildings (by 

 Messrs. Knight & Chatters, the local architects) was laid by the Right 

 Hon. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, bart., with Masonic ceremonies. 



During the two years spent in pulling down and rebuilding the school, 

 the boys were taught in buildings formerly used by the Presbyterian Church, 

 in the two detached class-rooms on the old site, one of which had been fitted 

 up as a chemical laboratory, and the preparatory form and first form at 

 Wolseley House, which had been rented on lease as a residence for the head 

 master. 



The new buildings were opened in 1889. They cost 10,000, of which 

 8,000 was raised by loan, repayable in 30 years. They contained a large 

 hall, ten classrooms, an art room, chemical laboratory, and a science lecture- 

 room. 



From 1882 to 1892 the school enjoyed ten years of growing prosperity. 

 The curriculum had been broadened by the introduction of drawing 

 (freehand, model, and geometrical) as an ordinary school subject, and by 

 teaching chemistry and physics throughout the upper school and singing in 

 the junior school. An English author was read in every form. Efforts 

 were made to increase the existing school lending library and to improve its 

 character. Drill was introduced, and regular games organized. A success- 

 ful class in manual instruction was conducted out of school hours by a skilled 

 joiner, and optional classes in shorthand and book-keeping were well attended, 

 when no charge was made. French, which was begun in the preparatory 

 form, and Latin, begun in the second form, were part of the ordinary curri- 

 culum of the school. German and Greek were extra subjects. The mathe- 

 matics and science of the upper school were taught with a view to the 

 examinations of the Science and Art Departments at South Kensington. 



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