Children at St Barnabas School, Blackburn (1905)

Blackburn
1905
Silent
1m

Edwardian primary schoolchildren are marshalled along the streets of Blackburn in strict formation.

There's a great range of expressions on the faces of these young children, aged around five and up, as they are chivvied into position along a terraced street before setting off on parade. Most seem to be concentrating hard on the matter in hand and only a few are smiling at the start, but when instructed to raise their hats (if they have one), they put on a very decent display of enthusiasm.

St. Barnabas Church of England School was founded in 1883 and still stands today, though now in different premises.

The Old School Yard

Children – unsung stars of so many Mitchell & Kenyon films – take the spotlight.

The more-or-less formal school parades (plus the odd sports day) collected here present a more regimented Edwardian childhood than the one which so often bursts into M&K's other films. The films capture a transitional moment in British education, with classroom provision extended in 1902's Education Act.

With a variety of educational models on display - local authority and church-run (Anglican or Catholic) - some schools are more formal or relaxed than others. As we watch them parade, it’s hard not to be reminded that much of this new generation, so full of life and hope, was destined for the trenches of World War I.