Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to teach poor children to read and write, and for other necessary parts of education. They were usually maintained by religious organisations, which provided clothing and education to students freely or at little charge. In most charity schools, children were put out to trades, services, etc., by the same charitable foundation. Some schools were more ambitious than this and sent a few pupils on to university.
Charity schools began in London, and spread throughout most of the urban areas in England and Wales. By 1710, the statistics for charity schools in and around London were as follows: number of schools, 88; boys taught, 2,181; girls, 1,221; boys put out to apprentices, 967; girls, 407. By the 19th century, English elementary schools were predominantly charity schools.
Blue coat schools in order of foundation
SchoolDate of FoundationNotes Christ's Hospital, Horsham1552Independent boarding school. The oldest surviving Bluecoat school. Blue Coat Boys' School1574Housed in the Poor Priest's Hospital in Canterbury, which later became Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys and Simon Langton Girl's Grammar School Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Clifton, Bristol1586Also known as The City School Norwich School for Poor Boys, Norwich1617Also known as the Anguish School, founded by bequest by Thomas Anguish, former mayor of the city. Reading Blue Coat School1646Secondary school founded by Richard Aldworth. Blue Coat School, Basingstoke1646Founded by Richard Aldworth. Old Swinford Hospital, Stourbridge 1667State boarding school The King's Hospital or Blue Coat School, Dublin1669 Ladies Charity School, Highgatec1680Founded by William Blake Greenwich Blue Coat Girls' School1700A girls' charity school St Mary's School, Banbury1705A primary school founded as Bluecoat School York Bluecoat School1705Leeds Charity School1705Higginbotham, P., Leeds Charity School / St John's Home, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, accessed 1 November 2018Nottingham Bluecoat School1706A church school Liverpool Blue Coat School1708A grammar school Nantwich Blue Cap School<1712 Tenison's School, Croydon1714 Coventry Blue Coat Church of England School1714A comprehensive school Stanhope School1715Merged with the Addey School in 1894 Birmingham Blue Coat School1722An independent junior prep school Bluecoat Primary School & Nursery, Stamford, Lincolnshire18thcentury The Blue Coat School, Oldham1834 The Blue Coat School, Dudley1869Closed in 1989. Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School1973. Pilton Bluecoat C of E Primary School A junior school in Devon
See also Charity Children Choirs Bluecoat school Ragged school History of education in England Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
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