Although a number of schools were founded as early as the 16th century, most were founded after the middle of the 19th century, including the National (Church of England) and British (nonconformist) schools. These voluntary schools were supplemented by rate-supported schools administered by school boards set up under the Education Act 1870. School boards were abolished by the Education Act 1902 and county and borough councils became responsible for elementary education (links for school boards are detailed on a separate guide). After the 1944 Education Act, county and borough councils provided primary, secondary and technical education.
Records are held from over 400 individual schools. These include log books, admission registers, managers' or governors' minutes and other records. For older schools, these records are often found amongst the records of churches, independent organisations, and miscellaneous collections; the majority however are in collections organised by individual school. Admission registers over 100 years old for a number of Cumbrian schools are available to search and browse on the Findmypast website (free to view in Cumbria Archives and Libraries).
There is also further material, including plans, relating to individual schools in Cumberland, Westmorland and Cumbria County Councils, and Barrow and Carlisle County Borough Council Education and other departmental records. School plans submitted to central government for building grants 1844-1872 are also available for a small number of schools, at Carlisle and Kendal Archives, reference TSE 1 (Cumberland schools) and WTE (Westmorland schools).
Links to online catalogues of holdings of school records: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPRSTUW
A
Abbeytown, Waverbridge School
Aikton Church of England School
Aikton, Biglands Voluntary School
Ainstable School
Allhallows School
Alston Boys' School
Alston Girls' School
Alston High School
Alston Infants' School
Alston National School
Alston Primary School
Ambleside Church of England Primary School
Ambleside Schools
Appleby County Primary School
Appleby Grammar School
Appleby Oakbeck School
Armathwaite School
Arnside Earnseat School
Arnside National School
Asby Endowed School
Ashley Street Infants' School
Askam Village School
Askam-in-Furness School
Askham School
Aspatria Agricultural College
B
Bampton School
Barbon School
Bardsea Church of England School
Barrow Grammar School For Boys
Barrow Grammar School for Girls [Municipal Secondary School for Girls]
Barrow in Furness, South Walney Junior School
Barrow Island (Partially Blind) Council School
Barrow Island Infants and Junior Schools
Barrow Island, St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School
Barrow-in-Furness, Bram Longstaffe Nursery School
Barrow-in-Furness, Greengate Infants School
Barrow-in-Furness, Holker Street Schools
Barrow-in-Furness, North Walney County Infants School
Barrow-in-Furness, Ocean Road Boys' School / Walney Central School
Barrow-in-Furness, Ormsgill County Junior and Infants Schools
Barrow-in-Furness, Oxford Street/Victoria Infant and Junior Schools
Barrow-in-Furness, Rawlinson Street Infants and Junior Schools/Greengate Junior School
Barrow-in-Furness, Richard Brunskill School
Barrow-in-Furness, Risedale Secondary School
Barrow-in-Furness, Roa Island Special School
Barrow-in-Furness, Roose County Primary School
Barrow-in-Furness, Sacred Heart School
Barrow-in-Furness, South Newbarns Infants School
Barrow-in-Furness, St George's Church of England School
Barrow-in-Furness, St James's Church of England Junior Schools
Barrow-in-Furness, St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School
Barrow-in-Furness, St Paul's Church of England Junior School
Barrow-in-Furness, Thwaite Street Council Schools
Barrow-in-Furness, Victoria Central School
Barton School
Beckermet Church of England Primary School
Beetham Grammar School
Beetham School
Bewcastle Park Council School
Bigrigg Council School
Blawith Church of England School
Blencogo School
Borrowdale School
Bothel C of E Primary School
Braithwaite School, Keswick
Brampton Council School
Brampton Irthing Valley School
Brampton Junior School
Brigham, St Bridget's Church of England Primary School
Bromfield Free Grammar School
Brook Street Infants' School, Carlisle
Brough School
Brougham School
Broughton Moor School
Broughton-in-Furness, Aulthurstside Church of England School
Broughton School
Brunswick Primary School - formerly County Infants' School, Penrith
Brunswick Road Council Girls' School
Brunswick Road Council Mixed School
Burgh-by-Sands School
Burneside School
Burton-in-Kendal Morewood Memorial/National School
Buttermere Mixed Voluntary School
C
Caldew School, Dalston
Calderbridge School
Camerton, Blanshard School
Camerton, Seaton School
Cargo School
Carleton School, Carlisle
Carlisle and County High School for Girls
Carlisle Grammar School
Carlisle Technical College
Carlisle, Bewcastle Bailey School
Carlisle, Bewcastle Park Council School
Carlisle, Bishop Goodwin Memorial Church of England School
Carlisle, Caldewgate Junior School
Carlisle, Creighton and Margaret Sewell Schools
Carlisle, Eden Secondary Modern School
Carlisle, Greystone Junior School
Carlisle, H K Campbell School
Carlisle, Morton Secondary School
Carlisle, Newman Roman Catholic School
Carlisle, Robert Ferguson Secondary Mixed School
Carlisle, St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic Primary School
Carlisle, St Patrick's Secondary Boys' School
Carlisle, Trinity School
Carlisle, Yewdale Primary School
Carlisle, York Special School
Cartmel, Cartmel Priory School
Cartmel Fell Church of England School
Cartmel Fell School
Cartmel Grammar School
Cartmel Special Subjects Centre
Casterton Clergy Daughters School
Casterton National School
Castle Sowerby School
Cautley and Dowbiggin School
Claife, High Wray British School
Claife, Sawrey Church of England School
Cleator County School
Cleator Moor, Montreal Church of England Infants' School
Cleator Moor, Montreal Church of England Junior School
Cleator Moor, Montreal Church of England Primary School
Cleator Moor, St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic School
Cleator Moor, St Patrick's Roman Catholic Infants' School
Cliburn School
Clifton School (Westmorland)
Cockermouth, Cumberland Industrial School
Cockermouth, Derwent County Secondary School
Cockermouth, Eaglesfield Paddle School
Cockermouth, Fairfield Junior School
Cockermouth Grammar School
Cockermouth, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Colton Church of England School
Colton, Bouth British School
Coniston, John Ruskin School
Coniston, Practical Instruction Centre
Cotehill Church of England School
Crofton Mixed and Infants' School see also DS 82
Croglin School
Crook School (Westmorland)
Crosby Garrett School
Crosby Ravensworth Grammar School
Crosby-on-Eden School
Crosscrake School
Crosthwaite Church of England School, Keswick
Crosthwaite Church of England Primary School (Westmorland)
Crosthwaite Old School
Culgaith Church of England Primary School
Cummersdale School
Cumrew Mixed and Infants' School
Cumwhinton School
Cumwhitton School
D
Dacre Voluntary School
Dalston Grammar School
Dalton-in-Furness, Broughton Road Junior School
Dalton-in-Furness, Chapel Street Infants School
Dalton-in-Furness, Dowdales
Dalton-in-Furness, Nelson Street Girls Primary
Dalton-in-Furness, St Mary's Church of England School
Dearham School
Dendron Church of England School
Dent Grammar School
Denton Holme Girls' School
Denton Holme Infants' School
Dillicar School
Distington, Lillyhall County Secondary School
Dovenby Hall Hospital, Special School
Drigg, Thompson Church of England (Aided) School
Drumburgh School
Duddon Hall Nursery School, Thwaites
Dyon County Primary School, Distington
E
Easton School
Edenhall Church of England School
Egremont Central School
Egremont Infant School
Egremont, Bookwell School
Egremont, Wyndham School
Ehenside School
Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Council School, Maryport
Ellenborough National (Controlled) School
Embleton and Wythop Voluntary School
Ennerdale and Kinniside School
Ewanrigg Junior School
F
Farlam School
Farlam Spelter Works School
Faugh School
Fellside School, Caldbeck
Fingland School
Finsthwaite Church of England School
Firbank School
Flookburgh School
Flookburgh, Cartmel Fourth Year School
Frizington County School
Frizington, St Paul's Church of England School
G
Gamblesby School
Garrigill Parochial School
Garrigill Tynehead Mixed School
Garsdale School Church of England School
Garth County Primary School, Salterbeck, Workington
Gilcrux School
Gosforth Church of England School
Grange-over-Sands National/Church of England School
Grange-over-Sands, Charney Hall Preparatory School
Grayrigg School
Great Asby Endowed School
Great Clifton School
Great Corby School
Great Musgrave School
Great Orton School
Great Strickland School
Greenholme School
Greysouthen Voluntary School
H
Haile Church of England School
Hallbankgate School, Brampton
Harrington, Church Road / Harrington Infants School
Harrington, Church Road Junior Mixed School / Harrington Junior School
Harrington, Victoria Senior Mixed School
Haverthwaite Church of England School
Haverthwaite, Brow Edge/Upper Holker Council School
Haverthwaite, Leven Valley County School
Hawkshead Grammar School
Hayton Mealo School
Hayton School
Helsington Church of England Primary School
Hensingham Infants National School
Hensingham Mixed National School
Hensingham, Keekle Terrace Voluntary School
Hethersgill Church of England (Controlled) School
Heversham Church of England School
Heversham Grammar School
High Hesket C E School
High Wray School
Holme Cultram, Aldoth School
Holme School
Howgill School
Hunsonby School, Penrith
Hutton Marr School
Hutton Roof School
Hutton Roof School (Westmorland)
Hycemoor Church of England Primary School, Bootle
I
Ings School
Ireleth Free School
Irton Hall School
Irton Voluntary School
J
Jericho School, Whitehaven
K
Kaber School
Kendal Boys' Modern School
Kendal Girls' Modern School
Kendal Grammar School
Kendal Green (British) School
Kendal High School
Kendal Nursery School
Kendal Roman Catholic School
Kendal, Allen Technical College
Kendal, Blue Coat School
Kendal, Castle Park School
Kendal, Castle Street British School
Kendal, Central/National School
Kendal, Dean Gibson Roman Catholic Primary School
Kendal, Ghyllside School
Kendal, Holly Croft School
Kendal, Holy Trinity School
Kendal, Longlands School
Kendal, Roundhills School
Kendal, Sandgate School
Kendal, St Thomas' School
Kendal, Schools of Science and Art, New Road
Kendal, Stramongate/Friends School
Kendal, Vicarage Park School
Kentmere School
Keswick, Brigham Church of England First school
Keswick, St. John's School see also DS 103
Keswick, St Kentigern's School
Killington School
Kings Meaburn School
Kirkandrews-on-Eden School
Kirkbride School
Kirkby Lonsdale Grammar School
Kirkby Lonsdale, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
Kirkby Stephen National School
Kirkby Thore School
Kirkby-in-Furness, Burlington School
Kirkby-in-Furness, Grizebeck School
Kirkoswald School
L
Kirkoswald School, Penrith
Lamplugh and Kelton Board School, Kirkland
Lamplugh Parochial/Church of England School
Lanercost Church of England Primary School
Langdale School
Lazonby School
Lees Hill School
Lindal and Marton School
Lindale Church of England Primary School
Little Clifton School
Little Langdale School
Little Strickland School
Lochinvar School, Longtown
Long Marton School
Longdale School
Longsleddale School
Longtown United School
Lowca Community School
Loweswater C of E School
Lowick Church of England Primary School
Lowther School
Lupton School
M
Mallerstang School
Mansergh School
Maryport, Christchurch Infants' School
Maryport Church of England Junior School
Maryport Church of England (Controlled) Junior School
Maryport National Jubilee Infants' School
Maryport, Grasslot Infants' School
Maryport, Holme St Cuthberts School
Maryport, Netherton Infants' School
Maulds Meaburn School
Mealbank School
Measand School
Middleton School
Millom County Primary Schools for Boys, Girls and Infants
Millom County Secondary School
Millom School
Millom, Holborn Hill Schools / Lapstone Road Schools / The Hill Schools
Milnthorpe Secondary School
Milnthorpe, Dallam School
Mockerkin Endowed School
Monkwray Junior School, Whitehaven
Moor Row, Ingwell School
Morland and Newby School
Morton Park Junior School, Carlisle
Morton Park Primary School, Carlisle
Morton Park Infants' School, CarlisleMuncaster, St Michael's Church of England School
Murton, Thwaites Endowed School
N
Nateby and Wharton School
Natland School
Nelson Tomlinson School, Wigton
Nenthead School
Netherhall School
Netherwasdale Voluntary School
New Hutton School
Newbiggin School, Dacre
Newbiggin-on-Lune School
Newlaithes Infants' School, Carlisle
Newlaithes Junior School, Carlisle
Newton-in-Cartmel School
Newton-in-Furness County Primary School
Newton Rigg Agricultural College: collection currently closed for cataloguing
Newtown School, Carlisle
North Stainmore School
O
Old Hutton School
Ormside School
Orton School
Osmotherley, Broughton Beck School
Oulton School
Ousby School
P
Patterdale Church of England School
Pennine Way Junior School, Harraby
Pennington Church of England School
Pennington, High Carley Hospital Special School
Penny Bridge Church of England School
Penrith Boys' Council School
Penrith County Boys' School see also DS 216
Penrith County Girls' School
Penrith Girls' National School
Penrith Grammar School
Penrith Handicraft Centre
Penrith, Beaconside Primary school
Penrith, Middlegate, Robinson's School
Penrith, St Catherine's Roman Catholic School
Penrith, Tynefield School
Penrith, Wetheriggs Junior School
Penrith, Yanwath School (and also WDS 121 at Kendal)
Penruddock School
Plumbland School
Preston Patrick and Endmoor School
R
Raffles Day Nursery
Raughtonhead School
Ravenstonedale Fell End School
Ravenstonedale School
Reagill Church of England School
Renwick School
Roa Island School
Rockcliffe Church of England School
Rosgill School
Rosley Church of England School, Wigton
S
Satterthwaite and Rusland Church of England School
Sawrey School
Scales, Aldingham Parochial School
Scotby Church of England School
Seascale Preparatory School
Seascale School
Seascale, Calder Girls' School
Seathwaite Parish School
Sedbergh British School
Sedbergh National School
Sedbergh Primary School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh, Baliol School for Girls
Selside Endowed School
Setmurthy Mixed Voluntary School
Shap School
Skelsmergh, Garth Row School
Skelwith, Brathay District Church of England School
Sleagill School
Soulby School
South Stainmore School
South Walney Infant School, Barrow-in-Furness
Sowerby Row School
St Aiden's School
St Bees County School
St Bees Grammar School
St Bees, Nethertown Mixed School
St Cuthbert's Church of England School, Great Salkeld
Stainburn Mixed and Infants Council School
Stainburn Secondary School
Stainton Church of England School
Stainton with Adgarley Church of England School
Staveley Church of England School
Staveley Evening School
Stoneraise School
T
Tebay School
Thornhill County Primary School
Threlkeld Church of England School
Thwaites School
Troutbeck Bridge Church of England School
Troutbeck Bridge, The Lakes School
Troutbeck School
U
Uldale School
Ulpha School
Ulpha Technical Instruction Committee
Ulverston Church of England Infant School
Ulverston Church of England School
Ulverston Roman Catholic School
Ulverston, Dale Street Infant School
Ulverston, Dale Street Junior Girls School
Ulverston, Sandside County Primary School
Ulverston, Sir John Barrow School
Ulverston, Stone Cross Special School
Ulverston, Town Bank Grammar School / Victoria High School
Underbarrow School
Upperby Primary School
Urswick Grammar Church of England Primary School
W
Waberthwaite Primary School
Waitby and Smardale Grammar School
Walney Island, Vickerstown County Primary School
Warcop Church of England School
Warwicksland School
Wasdale Head Mixed School
West Cumbria schools inspections and prospectuses
Wetheriggs Junior School
Whicham, Silecroft School / Church of England School
Whitehaven College of Further Education
Whitehaven Grammar School
Whitehaven School
Whitehaven Technical Institute
Whitehaven, Bransty Primary School
Whitehaven, Crosthwaite Memorial Church of England School
Whitehaven, Kells Secondary School
Whitehaven, Overend Secondary School
Whitehaven, Richmond School
Whitehaven, St Benedict's Catholic High School
Whitehaven, St James' Infants School
Whitehaven, St James' Junior School
Whitehaven, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Kells
Whitehaven, St Nicholas' Girls School
Whitehaven, St Nicholas' Schools
Whitehaven, Valley Schools
Wickersgill School
Wiggonby Church of England School
Wigton, Brookside School
Wigton Friends' School
Wigton Infants' School
Wigton Junior School
Windermere Endowed School
Windermere Grammar School
Windermere National / St Mary's School
Windermere Old College School
Windermere, Annisgarth School
Windermere, Ethel Hedley Hospital School
Windermere, St Anne's School
Winster School
Winton School
Witherslack, Dean Barwick Endowed School
Witherslack, Dean Barwick School
Witherslack, Sandford School
Workington Grammar / Technical and Secondary School
Workington, Beckstone Primary School
Workington, Cumberland Technical College / West Cumbria College
Workington, Derwent Vale Primary School
Workington, Lawrence Street School
Workington, Mixed Council School
Workington, Moorclose Secondary School
Workington, Moss Bay Primary School, Westfield
Workington, Newlands Secondary School
Workington, Northside School
Workington, Salterbeck Secondary School
Workington, Siddick School
Workington, St John's Infant School
Workington, St Joseph's Catholic High School
Workington, St Michael's Boys School
Workington, St Michael's Girls School
Workington, St Michael's Infants School
Workington, Southfield School
Workington, Victoria Junior / Girls School
Workington, Westfield Board / Council School
Workington, Westfield Junior School
Workington, Wilson County Secondary School
Workington, Wilson's Board / Higher Standard School
Wreay Church of England School
Wythburn Voluntary School