CRICH PARISH

School inspectors worried about temptation in Crich School

This could have been a headline in the year 1864. At that time there were strict rules about unmarried headmasters working alongside unmarried members of staff. Crich Parochial School (now Crich Infants) had headmaster Mr John Radford and newly arrived assistant teacher Miss Annie Gosling on the staff. The School Inspectors (called HMI) had to agree to Miss Gosling's appointment. They were rather worried, as the entry in the school logbook shows.

Crich Parochial School logbook July 1864
Summary of HMI report –

Deficient in arithmetic and lower classes not adequately taught, grants cut.
Before sanctioning the employment of Miss Gosling as assistant teacher in your school under article 91 I am to enquire whether the master is married. My Lords wish to know whether the managers have considered the obvious danger to which this kind of arrangement is exposed unless a master's wife is constantly present whilst the assistant teacher is employed in the school and they desire to know whether Mr Radford is married. This precaution will be observed.