Founded in 1862, St. Michael's was the first school to be established in the Sandhurst area. Before this time many children had no formal education. Some attended the "Dame School" which operated in Rosary Cottage (which can still be seen, opposite the Lych Gate) and the children of the wealthy families were either sent away to be educated or had a governess at home.
The first phase of St. Michael's School was built thanks to the generosity of Mr. John Walter, the Squire of Bearwood. The building (which now houses the infant classes) was completed in 1862 and loaned to the Church for a nominal rental. The Walter family crest (Aesop's stork and pitcher) can be seen above the schoolroom door. The accommodation comprised: one large schoolroom, two smaller rooms and the Headmaster's House, and catered for children aged between eight and fourteen. The first Headmaster was a Mr. Edwin Ashton and the seventy or so pupils came from Sandhurst and the surrounding parishes. At this time education was not compulsory and maintaining attendance levels was something of a problem, with children regularly being taken out of school to help in the fields or with domestic duties.
The opening of the school co-incided with the 1862 "Revised Code" which provided for schools to be paid a grant which depended upon the performance of the school. The Government Grant was based on attendance levels and examination passes in the basic subjects - reading, writing, arithmetic and religion. In 1868 the Log Book records the Annual Grant as being £37 Is. 4d. At this time parents were expected to contribute 2d. or 4d. towards their child's education (the exact amount dependent on their financial status).
During the early 1870's the number on roll steadily increased - due largely to the efforts of the then Headmaster, Mr. John Gregory, and by 1873 the average attendance was between 135 and 140. The Education Act of 1876 made education compulsory up to the age of 10 years and the Act of 1891 made it free!
In 1896 it was decided that there was a need for an Infant School. The cost of providing the new school was £400 and this was raised by public subscription. At the same time the Walter family wished to sell the Senior school and School House and this was purchased for the Parish by the Rector, the Hon. Randall Parsons, for the sum of £500.
There were now two schools on the same site, the Sandhurst National Schools, and these remained separate until 1919 when they joined together under the direction of Headmaster Mr. George Oldham.
The facilities in the early schools were somewhat basic "flush" toilets (being serviced by water hand-pumped from the well) being installed in 1903, and still in use until 1959. Electricity was connected in 1941 and the last of the coke stoves was finally removed in 1975!
Little worthy of special note happened during the first half of the century - the two World Wars came and went with nothing but a cursory mention in the log books. The population of the school was stable and the two Headmasters of the period, Mr. Oldham and Mr. Randle, kept the school on an even keel.
Following the provision made in the 1944 Education Act, the school was granted "Voluntary Controlled" status in 1953. Effectively this meant that the Church gave control of the school over to the Education Committee of Berkshire County Council who were then responsible for funding and educational policy. In practice, the Church still influences the character of the school and plays a unique supportive role.
Up until 1958 the school catered for children up to the age of 15 years. In that year the schools in the Sandhurst area were re-organised and St. Michael's was designated a "Primary School". The children now left at 11 plus and attended secondary modern or grammar school - most going to Bracknell or Crowthorne.
The population of Sandhurst grew substantially during the 1960's and during this period the expansion of the school to a "one-form entry" school was planned. The "temporary" Terrapin Classroom was delivered in 1965 and the school was extended in two phases - the hall and kitchen in 1968 and the three new junior classrooms in 1975.
The School Association, which was officially formed in 1966 (and celebrates its 21st birthday this year!) [Ed. this article was written in 1987] has been very active in enhancing the facilities of the school. Its first major project was the building of the swimming pool in 1969 - at a cost of approximately £530. In 1983, the Association built the School Library which houses our collection of over 3000 books.
Today we have 210 children on roll. During the past 125 years much has changed at St. Michael's School - what we teach and how we teach it is so different as are the facilities provided for the children.
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