The school building was standing in 1786 (according to the Apprentice's Register) which would make it one of the oldest school buildings in the country! The apprentices lived in the cottages opposite and were aged between 5 and 15 years. According to a visitor in 1794, "the children are kept in excellent order..an apothecary attends them at stated times to preserve health. They are trained to the duties of religion and are fed plentifully."  However, there was a high 'wastage' due to suicides in the dam and children absconding to join the army.

The mill ceased work in 1846. In 1848, the Duke of Portland converted the building into a school. There was a fee of 2d per week and teacher's salaries were £40 per year.

The original mill dam survives as does the dam wall and the path of the mill race can be seen emerging from a tunnel beyond the playing field. In the last twenty years the buildings have been modified a great deal both externally and internally with outdoor toilets being demolished, a staffroom and office being built and extra teaching rooms being built on the ground floor in what were cloakrooms and storage spaces. Further conversions which have turned the old bike-sheds into storage rooms and a complete refurbishment of the existing classrooms have combined to make the school a very effective and roomy teaching space. This was further enhanced in January 2006 when we moved into a brand new building which included a new classroom, a Head Teacher's office. a sensory room and Beldham Hall - named after Les Beldham, the Head Teacher who worked to obtain the money, through grants, which made the building possible.  

A Memory of Cuckney School

Before World War 2, I went to Welbeck School. In 1939, the war started and the army took over my school so we were all transferred to Cuckney.

Pre-school was divided in two to make cloakrooms. Upstairs, what is now Norton was the top class. Welbeck class was next and the teacher was Miss Jessop. Langwith class was split into two; the infant class was in one half with Miss Anderson. The headmaster was called Mr Rowland. The stairs were in the same place and the cloakroom is where we kept our bikes.

In the playground, there is a bricked-up section which was the girl's entrance. The sheds were an open area with a long seat running along the back and you could sit underneath when it rained. We had an air raid shelter behind School Row at the dam end.

Some of the lessons included gardening. The garden entrance was half way up Bakers Lane. The boys in the top class went gardening whilst the girls went to cookery lessons at the other end of the village.

In the winter, we were a bit naughty because we used to throw a bucket of water onto the playground before we went home. It would freeze overnight and we then had a good slide in the morning.

Photograph and memories courtesey of Gerald Marples (Grandad of Conor Marples)