Braywick: 200 years of educating local children

New historical images and testimonies recently came to life which documented the history of the primary school that existed on our site, for over 200 years.

It all started when Pascoe Grenfell, a philanthropist in the area, provided the land and legal trust through the 1819 deed to ensure local children, particularly those of the Hibbert estate workers, agricultural labourers, and cottagers, had access to basic schooling. 

The estate workers used to live in the historical cottages nearby, and one of the current dwellers, Mr Pover, managed to uncover these new interesting images and historical information.

Mr Pover purchased one of the cottages from a 90 year old lady, Mrs Lilley, who had lived there all her life. Since the purchase, he has kept in touch with Mrs Lilley and, according to her, the original school building was a court house dating back to 1454 (see notes below). After the building was converted into a school, Mrs Lilley worked there for eight years and, because of its historical significance, tried to get the building listed, without success.

Mr Pover asked Braywick Court School’s headteacher to re-create the old photos while all his children are in attendance and before his daughter will move on to secondary school next year. Braywick pupils were delighted to pose for such an occasion, and Mr Pover said: “Having uncovered the Victorian picture with teachers and pupils outside our listed cottages, I thought it would be a nice idea to recreate the moment in the present day approximately 100-150 years on. It is obvious from the photos being taken that the cottages were appreciated at that time, just like in the present day. Braywick Court School is a fantastic school that continues to serve our small community well, developing our young people, so we continue to appreciate it also.”

Mrs Lilley's notes about Braywick Court School

Headteacher Michelle Robertson said: “Uncovering these historical photos gives us a profound connection to our local roots. Knowing that children have been learning on this exact spot since 1819 is deeply humbling. Braywick Court School is immensely proud to carry forward this rich educational legacy and continue educating our community over 200 years after the first children began learning here”.

The Maidenhead Advertiser published the story on 9th Oct 2026: