Lower Peover CofE Primary School

In 1710, Richard Comberbach established the institution.
Up until 1722, when they endowed 300 in trust, Comberbach and his wife taught in the school with the help of the vicar of St. Oswald's.
Up to the Education Act of 1870, the school functioned as a charitable educational institution with the help of an assistant and the incumbent of St. Oswald's who "doubled" as the school master.
However, the general aim of the school has remained that of providing "sound and practical instruction to boys and girls in conformity with the teachings of the Church of England." The Trust Deeds were changed in both 1874 and 1896 to facilitate government policy.
Richard Comberbach established Lower Peover School in 1710, as was previously mentioned.
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) was founded less than 10 years prior with one of its goals being to encourage and promote the construction of charity schools throughout England and Wales.
Prior to this, James II ascended to the throne in 1685.
As we shall see, this development had a big impact on how educational policy was shaped for the following 200 years.
However, with the introduction of Sunday schools, it is possible that it did, in a missionary environment, fulfil the needs of the impoverished.
The establishment of The British and Foreign School Society (1808) and The National Society at this time may have had the greatest educational impact on Lower Peover School (1811).
For the following one hundred years, the English educational system would take on the characteristics of these two organizations—one Nonconformist and the other Established.
Even though the school's goal of keeping an Anglican teacher was in line with the National Society's policy, it is unclear how Lower Peover and The National Society related at the time.
The Oxford Movement was a prominent movement in the Church of England in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Even while the Lower Peover school was still closely linked to St. Oswald's, it was becoming more and more clear that these institutions could not adequately serve the demands of a developing industrial populace.
While Lower Peover, which at the time was instructing more than 136 students, may not have found this to be a problem, finance became a major concern, and it would go on to dominate society for the following 50 years.
Most clergy welcomed governmental help while Nonconformist Voluntaryists and secularists campaigned to keep education under state control.
The Committee of Council on Education stipulated in the 1850s that trust deeds for brand-new schools contain an exemption clause that would allow students of other creeds to be excused from religious instruction.
Lower Peover was not affected at the time, but the big Education Act of 1870 brought about significant changes because the course had been chosen.
The Rev. John Holme was to become the last Vicar of St. Oswald's who would act as the school master, the High Church (to which Lower Peover seems to have aligned itself) had lost its battle to maintain a doctrinal focus and education was to become increasingly controlled by government.
A number of significant direction changes are highlighted in the 1874 Lower Peover Draft Scheme.
The most significant provision, however, is Article 27, which states that no child shall be excused from school because they miss regularly scheduled religious services or teaching.
Significantly, Lower Peover was not one of them and following the Butler Act of 1944 Lower Peover became a Church Aided school.
This action emphasises the ongoing importance of having a strong relationship with the Church, which has characterised most of the school's life.
Even if money may have been given up in the manner of Richard Comberbach, the Church nevertheless held a majority of the school's shares.
Historically, then, the school has maintained a strong relationship with the church which has been expressed theologically through a High Church orientation.
Since Comberbach first relinquished his curacy, the tradition of maintaining a doctrinal stance has been firmly embedded within the character of the school.
Over the past 50 years, the Church and school have maintained their mutual support and close relationships.
While repetition of the catechism is perhaps no longer the form in which religious education takes place the school recognises that one of its key responsibilities as a Church of England school is to help each child gain knowledge of the Christian faith and to develop a set of Christian moral values as a pattern for life.
Understanding its central role in the provision of education, the school recognises faith as a fundamental element of its life, the ingredients of which being the provision of quality education, the care and nurture of children and staff and the strength of the school church link.
Within an increasingly pluralistic, materialistic and secular environment, the school, through its acts of worship, teaching of the syllabus and teaching of religious education, is thus able to offer a more holistic educational experience which aims to promote pupils' social, moral and cultural development by addressing fundamental issues of life.
The teaching of other religions as a supplement to Christianity is a further aspect of the way the school seeks to engage in an increasingly pluralistic society.
Rather than taking dogmatic positions of intolerance, the school is actively responsible in equipping children to live in a multicultural society and as such mirrors the concerns of the broader Anglican Church in general.
Lower Peover School has come a long way in three hundred years, but Comberbach's legacy still survives.
The strong expression of a faith orientated community in the face of an ever more challenging social setting is testament to the beliefs and events that led to the school's initial founding.
The expression of faith that led Comberbach to renounce his curacy has continued through history.
While the philosophical agenda has changed significantly from an exclusive High Church position to a more accommodating pluralistic context, Lower Peover still stands on its mission to give a sound and practical education to boys and girls in accordance with the Doctrines of the Church of England.
As is true of all institutions, evolution takes place, what is significant and special about Lower Peover is that while change has occurred, the school has maintained an awareness of its roots and kept a close link with the Church.
While history may be remembered for its divisive expressions amongst Christians concerning education, the future remains open.