Do these vintage images of school life from as long as 100 years ago jog any memories?

Many of the schools and teams featured no longer exist such as St Mary-at-the-Walls Infants School, the Bluecoat School and Barrack Street School.

The Bluecoat School was immortalised by well-known Colchester artist Frank Daniell who painted two famed paintings featuring pupils from the school, Blue Coat Schoolboy and Blue Coat Schoolgirl in the early 1900s.

It had opened in 1710 as a Church charity school for the whole town to prepare around 100 boys and girls for apprenticeship or service.

Historians explains it was supported by subscriptions, benefactions, and, at first, voluntary payments from some children’s families.

Subscribers and benefactors had the right to nominate children as pupils.

In some instances would partly pay for their school clothes which included their blue coats and stocking, introduced in 1715 and contributing to their distinctive name.

Boys were also taught reading, writing, and arithmetic and girls to read, sew, and knit. From 1720 the trustees apprenticed two boys each year to local tradesmen and increased the number as more money was subscribed. In 1764 the school taught and clothed 50 boys and 19 girls.

In 1812 it was united with 12 un-denominational Sunday schools to form a central National school for all 16 Colchester parishes.

Also featured in these pictures are vintage images of Canterbury Road School, now more familiar to residents as St George’s New Town Junior School, and the privately run Endsleigh School on Spencer field in Lexden, next to the church.

It was created within Lexden Park House in 1955 until it closed in the 1990s and is now a private home.

And having opened in the late 1870s, St Mary’s-at-the-walls also eventually closed its doors in 1930 after numbers declined and it lost the backing of the Education department.

Our main image here shows youngsters pictured against the historic Roman walls from which it took its name and Barrack Street school, which is also no longer open.

School and education has long been a staple of life in Colchester though, with historians pinpointing the earliest in the town dating back to the 12th Century.

Schoolmasters were introduced in around 1357 in association with a school which adjoined St Mary’s Churchyard, east of the postern gate.

By the 16th Century there was provision for all children to be taught in Colchester up to the age of ten.

* If you have any vintage images of your time at school in Colchester or those featured have helped you re-call memories you would like to share then contact us on 01206 508186.