School records

The main series of records are admission registers, log books, punishment registers and governors’ minutes. Photographs and plans of the school also sometimes survive.

Our records are from 1778 to date (with a number of gaps). However, most log books and admission registers don’t begin until the latter half of the 19th century.

Contact us on archives@sheffield.gov.uk to find out more, book in advance or order archival materials.

Ordering documents

School log books, admission registers and punishment registers are restricted access for up to 75 years.

Please contact us for further information and to confirm when we can retrieve items for you. For records more than 75 years old, please note that not all archive material is stored onsite and we may require notice of the items you wish to see.

Copies

We can normally supply copies for private study purposes, subject to the usual copyright and access restrictions. Please contact us for further information.

Background information

Admission registers

Record date of admission (and in some cases re-admission), a child’s full name, date of birth, address, the name of a parent or guardian, the last school attended, whether they were exempted from religious instruction, the date of their last attendance and the cause of leaving.

These registers can also include an index of pupil names. There is often duplication between volumes, and it is common, therefore, for covering dates to overlap.

School log books

Tend to record day-to-day occurrences in the life of the school. These include such matters as admissions, staffing (new appointments, transfers), pupil and staff absences, accommodation, general housekeeping and administration, special events, school inspections and other visits, outbreaks of illness, holidays, timetables and changes in opening times, annual reports and monthly class examinations.

Punishment registers

Record the date, name of child, offence, how punished, class number and in some cases the signature of the teacher. These registers often only cover certain classes in the schools, leading to overlapping dates.

Governors’ minutes

Tend to record the appointment of governors as well as administrative matters such as staffing issues, local education authority policies, and some matters relating to pupils, such as exclusions.

A head teacher’s report is regularly included, which can cover such matters as accommodation, staff and the curriculum.

There are, in several instances, difficulties with defining what age group the schools cover. Terms such as infants, mixed, junior, senior etc. should only be used as a rough guideline.