1811    â€œNational Society for the Education of the Poor in the Principals of the Established Churchâ€� was founded.
1840    First School Room established in the Bible Christian Chapel.
1843    Earl Stanhope built school.
1846    Phillip Henry, Earl Stanhope, gave part of Fair Park for the building of a school for the poor.
1847    School built in Fair Park Road.
1848    Land at Croft Road granted for school.
1849    Black Torrington National School opened.
1857    Wesleyan School was built In Chapel Street.
1858    Ann Hart’s will gave £580 3% Consols on Trust, the income to support The National School and the same sum to support the Poor House, also the income from £100 to support the Church Sunday School.
1867    Admiral Benedictus Karwood Kelly died. He left £132,000 to build Kelly College, he had wanted it built in Holsworthy but the roads were too bad, so it was built in Tavistock instead.
1870    The Conscience Clause was added to the Education Act. It allowed children to be withdrawn from religious instruction in a church school if the parents so wished.
1870    Forster’s Education Act. Setting up districts for elementary schools. Boards were established to administer these schools and so the first Board Schools came into being.
1875    New School opened at Black Torrington.
1878    Opening of Bradford School.
1880    School attendance to the age of 10 became law. However if a childs attendance had been poor then he or she was required to stay longer.
1883    National School closed owing to an outbreak of Diptheria.
1889    The Board of Education was established and empowered to levy a 1d. rate to provide technical education.
1890    Wesleyan Day School closed for one month owing to an outbreak of Whooping Cough.
1891    Elementary education was provided free.
1893    The school leaving age was raised to 11.
1895    Earl Stanhope gave extra land for an extension to the school.
1896    Trustees of John Vowler’s widow sold Chilsworthy National School house and teachers house to the Rector and trustees for £105.
1899    The school leaving age was raised to twelve.
1902    Local authorities were empowered to provide secondary education under the Balfour Act.
1906    The Education (Provision of Meals) Act passed.
1908    National School teachers salary was £125 per annum.
1918    The school-leaving age was raised to 14.
1927    Wesleyan School amalgamated with National School.
1927    Secondary School separated from National School.
1944    Fees in State Schools were abolished. The school-leaving age was raised to 15.

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