Burnchurch School – A Brief History of Our Time

1837 

In the Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis, published in London in 1837, under Burnchurch there is the following reference “The parochial school is supported by the incumbent; and there is a private school in which there are 70 boys and 30 girls; there is also a Sunday School.“ The parochial school was Protestant and stood someplace to the right of the entry to Farmley House. It is marked on an old 1839 map of the locality. It clearly shows that a school house was located at this time in the field just to the right of Burnchurch Castle. This confirms the belief locally held that there was a Hedge School in the area. 

 

1860

A new school building was built in the 1860s in the field beside the church. This building stands to this day and is a beautiful home.

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Up to three generations of the local people had their first teaching there. This was a stone building, well preserved with two classrooms. It had large windows to the side and front to let in plenty of light and air.  

 

The smaller room was in the charge of the assistant who taught up to 2nd class. 3rd to 6th class was taught in the large room by the principal or ‘Master’. The girls were taught sewing and knitting by the assistant teacher and the boys learned gardening from the male teacher.  According to the school registers of 1873, the subjects taught were: Reading, Spelling, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar, Geography, Needlework, Drawing, Agriculture, Algebra, Geometry and Bookkeeping. 

 

A range type stove heated the small room in the winter while the larger room had a round type stove in the centre. Both gave out good heat. Each child had to bring one shilling to buy coal for the winter heating. 

 

School hours were 9:30a.m. to 3:00p.m. for juniors and for seniors it was 9:30a.m. to 4:00p.m. Most pupils stayed at the school until they were 14 years of age.  

 

This school building was closed in 1949, when the present modern school was opened. 

 

1949

In 1949 a new school, designed by Basil Boyd Barrett, chief architect with the Department of Education at that time was built in the field behind the graveyard.  It was designed to maximise the sun's full potential with six high windows on the front of the building facing directly to the south. Two side entrances provided access to the school. At the rear was a long corridor with two cloakrooms at either end. Lighting in the school consisted of two single light bulbs suspended from the ceiling with only one switch to turn these on and off.  

 

The schoolroom was divided in two by a large wooded

partition which could be folded back to reveal one

large space. When closed, the two smaller rooms 

were crowded and cramped. Heating was provided

by two fires at either end of the building. Toilet facilities

were very primitive two cubicles at the back of the school

shed housed dry toilets.  

 

In the 1970s, thanks in large part to the voluntary work

of the parents, many improvements made the school

more comfortable for the children. Wall-mounted fires,

inside toilets, fluorescent lights, fitted carpets and a

fresh coat of paint modernised the building.

 

1992

In 1992 the school community celebrated the opening of a brand new extension which more than doubled the floor area of the original school building. A large classroom and staff-room were added. Oil fired central heating, bright new furniture, updated electrical works and additional toilets provided added comfort.  

 

Over the years, with the addition of extra staff members further alterations were required to the school. Once again, the parents got together and the girls toilet was converted into a learning support room and the boys toilet was converted into an office. As the years progressed the school staff and student numbers increased at a steady rate. Maximum use was made of the building and it was always regarded by visitors to the school as being warm, bright, welcoming and inviting. 

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Pupil numbers continued to

increase over the years and,

once again, space was

at a premium. In 2006 a prefab

was placed to the rear of the

school. In 2007, we were

fortunate to receive a funding

allocation from the Department

of Education to  build additional

classrooms.  However, there

was a shortfall which needed to be met and once again, the parents rallied and a major

fund-raising campaign was begun. The National Ploughing Championships held locally in 2008 provided the Parents Association with the opportunity of raising funds. This enabled the Board of Management to acquire additional educational equipment for the pupils.

 

2008

In November 2008, work commenced on the new extension and refurbishment of the school. Architect Peter Bluett was asked to design the new addition to the school and a whole new layout incorporating the existing building was planned. The two original buildings were refurbished. Two additional, spacious classrooms, a resource room, staff room, toilets and a secretary’s office were all incorporated into the new layout. A new school entrance was also designed bringing both the old and new together in a seamless and complementary way. In October 2009 the prefab was finally removed and with great delight the children and staff moved into their new classrooms.

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The grounds work was then carried out. All the grass had to be re-seeded, a new teachers car park built and, most importantly of all, an Astroturf pitch installed. By Christmas 2010 all the work was complete. All the classrooms were kitted out with the most up-to-date equipment including white-board technology, a hugely beneficial tool for both teachers and pupils alike. The additional rooms provide light, warmth and comfort and ensure that Burnchurch National School will continue to fulfil the educational needs for the next generation of local children.

 

Recent Years

Burnchurch has continued to develop in recent years.  We upgraded our interactive whiteboards in each class thanks to the funds raised by our fantastic Parents’ Association through their Summer Soiree Events. The school also has installed e-fibre broadband directly into the school and now each classroom benefits from wireless internet at speeds that are the envy of many. 

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The school has moved with the times by having a presence on social media which parents really found to be of benefit during the restricted movement associated with the COVID19 Pandemic. The sharing of photos of activities in the school really gave an insight into the school day and was positively received by all.

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In 2020, Burnchurch NS continued to develop with the establishment of a 2-3 Club. This Club operated by the school facilitates families’ with a number of children in the school with a single collection time at 3pm. 

 

What does the future hold?

The next step in the development of Burnchurch NS is to establish a Pre-School for the families of the area. This, in addition to our 2-3 Club will benefit families with a number of children as the their drop-offs and collections can all occur in one place Burnchurch National School – The Best Primary School in Kilkenny.