1. Beginnings

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Alan Johnson, the former Education Secretary, tells the story of English education over the last 140 years through the prism of one London school - St Michael and All Angels in Camberwell. Over the decades, its undergone many transformations, including names, in response to changes in policy, but its purpose has remained constant - to provide decent and free education to local children. In the first of ten episodes, the story begins using original documents – from headmasters’ logs and inspection reports – and the testimony of both pupils and teachers. It’s as much a social history of inner-city life down the ages as it is a study of our attempts to educate the children of poor families. The Headmaster’s log book entry for November 17, 1884 documents the school's opening: "J Alfred Thomas Cox opened the above school and took charge. 74 boys were admitted." Founded as a church school, St Michael and All Angels is set up under auspices of the The National Society for the Promotion of the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church. The aim is clear: “the proposed schools are for the poorest of the poor children, quite ragged and destitute. Many of whom are at present spending most of their time in the street.” Alan finds the beginning of the story of this school site in Camberwell in a collection of logbooks, reports and other documents which were saved by the current school on the site Ark All Saints Academy. He also visits the London School of Economics where the poverty of the area is illustrated in Charles Booth’s Victorian poverty maps and notebooks. Producer: Sara Parker Executive Producer: Samir Shah A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in February 2019.