The Ragged School Museum

The Ragged School Museum is housed in a group of three canalside buildings which once formed the largest free school in London. In 1867, Thomas Barnardo opened his first ‘ragged school’ where children could gain a free basic education. Copperfield Road Free School then opened its doors ten years later and for the next thirty-one years educated tens of thousands of children until it closed in 1908.

In the early 1980s, these buildings were threatened with demolition so a group of local people joined together and set up The Ragged School Museum Trust. The museum opened in 1990 to share the history of the Ragged Schools and the broader social history of the Victorian East End.

I visited this fascinating place in 2016, when we were about to use Berlie Docherty’s ‘Street Child’ and thought this might be a great place for a school trip. It would have been, but the logistics were too complicated and so the visit never came off; however, it gave me a real insight into the educational experiences of my London ancestors who lived in this area at the time.

At the heart of the museum is a Victorian classroom, recreated in one of Dr Barnardo’s original rooms, restored to as it was in the 1870s. Rows of desks facing the blackboard, slates, the teacher’s desk, a dunce’s hat all combine to give a feeling of what it must have been like to have been a pupil here. I was very impressed by the friendly, knowledgeable staff here, who were keen to answer questions and showed a real pride in their museum.

Since my visit, the Ragged School Museum has had Lottery funding for refurbishment which began in 2020, meaning I need to visit again soon.

Ragged School Museum

46-50 Copperfield Road
London E3 4RR
United Kingdom