Ancestry UK

Sedbury Park School for Boys, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales

On November 4th, 1941, the Sedbury Park Approved School for Junior Boys was certified for operation at Buttington Hill, Chepstow, Monmouthshire. The premises could accommodate up to 120 boys, aged under 13 at their date of admission.

Sedbury Park, Chepstow, date unknown.

The boys were accommodated in five houses. The School offered a wide range of living circumstances and a variety of multi- disciplinary staff. By the late 1960s, Sedbury Park was reputed to have least expensive running costs of any Approved School in the country.

In 1973, the School became a Community Home with Education (CHE) under the control of Gloucestershire County Council. In the early 1980s, major rebuilding work took place at the property with a Secure Unit operating at the site from 1984 to 1986.

The establishment was finally closed in around 1986. The property is now occupied by a care home for the elderly.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • Gloucestershire Archives, Clarence Row, Alvin Street, Gloucester GL1 3DW. Holdings include: Medical register (1940-70); Headmaster's report book (1942-73); Daily register (1972); Log books (1942-72, 1974); Management Committee minutes (1981-86); Quarterly corporal punishment returns (1972-77); Visitors book (1942-56); Statistical returns (1984-86); Plans
  • The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Has various reports on the School.

Bibliography

  • Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
  • Hyland,Jim Yesterday's Answers: Yesterday's Answers: Development and Decline of Schools for Young Offenders (1993, Whiting and Birch)
  • Millham, S, Bullock, R, and Cherrett, P After Grace — Teeth: a comparative study of the residential experience of boys in Approved Schools (1975, Chaucer Publishing)