page_title: List of former board schools in Brighton and Hove
hierarchical_section_title: List of former board schools in Brighton and Hove
caption_attribution_description: The former Finsbury Road Board School, Finsbury Road, Hanover, City of Brighton and Hove, England. Built as a Board School in 1881 by Thomas Simpson; later converted into loft apartments called Hanover Lofts. This shows the commemorative datestone below one of the gables.
context_page_description: Between 1870 and the early 20th century, "a distinguished group of board schools" were built in the area covered by the present city of Brighton and Hove on the south coast of England. All were designed and built by the local firm of Thomas Simpson & Son, whose members were Scottish architect Thomas Simpson and his Brighton-born younger son Gilbert Murray Simpson friba. John William Simpson, the older of Thomas's two sons, may also have been involved with some of the work.
  There was no nationally coordinated scheme of primary-level education until the Elementary Education Act 1870 was passed; this empowered local councils to form school boards with elected members and funded by rates. Brighton's population was growing rapidly at the time, and many new schools were needed. Thomas Simpson was appointed architect and surveyor to the Brighton School Board in 1871 and held the same positions with the Hove School Board from 1876. In 1878, Brighton School Board merged with that of the neighbouring parish of Preston to form the Brighton and Preston School Board, and Simpson became the architect and surveyor of this new entity.
context_section_description: Between 1870 and the early 20th century, "a distinguished group of board schools" were built in the area covered by the present city of Brighton and Hove on the south coast of England.  All were designed and built by the local firm of Thomas Simpson & Son, whose members were Scottish architect Thomas Simpson (1825–1908) and his Brighton-born younger son Gilbert Murray Simpson friba (1869–1954).  John William Simpson, the older of Thomas's two sons, may also have been involved with some of the work.
  There was no nationally coordinated scheme of primary-level education until the Elementary Education Act 1870 was passed; this empowered local councils to form school boards with elected members and funded by rates.  Brighton's population was growing rapidly at the time, and many new schools were needed.  Thomas Simpson was appointed architect and surveyor to the Brighton School Board in 1871 and held the same positions with the Hove School Board from 1876.  In 1878, Brighton School Board merged with that of the neighbouring parish of Preston to form the Brighton and Preston School Board, and Simpson became the architect and surveyor of this new entity.
  Many of the schools were large buildings of "excellent" architectural quality, situated in rapidly expanding suburban areas such as Round Hill, Queen's Park and Prestonville.  Thomas Simpson and his son, who became a partner in the firm in 1890, used a range of materials—characteristically red brick, terracotta and pebbledashing—and their preferred style evolved from Queen Anne Revival on the early schools towards a more elaborate "Edwardian Free style".  The final school, St Luke's (1903), has been described as "the culmination of [Thomas Simpson's] career".  As of 2020, it is one of five with Grade II listed status.  Some of the schools have been demolished, while others have closed and are now in residential use or are owned by other educational institutions (some were acquired by Brighton Polytechnic and Brighton College of Technology during the 20th century); but several remain in use as primary schools.  Finsbury Road School was threatened with demolition in 1999 but was granted listed status and thereby saved; and the York Place Elementary Schools were nearly destroyed by bombing in 1940 during the Brighton Blitz.
  After its formation, the Brighton School Board also took over a small number of existing schools and schoolrooms based in chapels.  Also within the Board's remit were industrial schools for persistent truants.  The first, established in a former workhouse in the village of Chailey in 1875, moved seven years later to a house in Patcham.  The second, in Mile Oak near Portslade, was built in conjunction with the London School Board.
caption: This plaque on the former Finsbury Road Board School records the date of its opening, 1881, and the name of the Brighton and Preston School Board.
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