Medal shown awarded to W.Fewkes with 1912-13 bar (Bronze).
Also in Collection:
E.Cox 1911-12 Bar (Bronze)
I.Anderson 1911-12 Bar (Gilted)
Background:
The first medal awarded for regular and punctual attendance to London schoolchildren was initiated by the School Board for London in 1887 and with royal sanction, was designated the "Queen Victoria Medal". After the monarch died, it was renamed the "King Edward VII Medal" and later the "King's Medal". The award was suspended during the latter part of World War 1, but was reintroduced briefly after the conculsion of warfare. It was stopped completely in 1920 with the bar 1919/20 being the last.
Each week of good attendance earned a 'ticket'
A term completed with a full set of 'tickets' earned a 'Reward Card'.
A School Year completed with a 'Reward Card' for each term earned a 'Medal'.
Medals:
Children were eligible to recieve an award during each year of their school career, if stringent requirements were met. Orginally, in 1887 the first three medals awarded to any pupil were constructed of 'white metal', the fourth and fifth 'bronze', sixth to tenth 'gilted bronze' and finally eleventh 'Silver'. These were amended in 1908 to provide silver for eighth and above and again in 1912 when the white metal was removed totally. From 1912 the first three medals were 'bronze', 4th, 5th and 6th 'Guilded Bronze' and 7th+ 'Silver'. The number of children successful enough to complete year on year and reaching the higher levels was very small.
Requirements:
The exact requirements varied slightly over the years, but were very strict. The 1902 School Management Code stated "a medal is to be awarded to every full-time scholar who has attended punctually on every occassion on which school has been open during the educational year ending July, provided that absence on not more than four half-days or two whole days in a year shall no debar any child from receiving a medal if at least two days notice of absence has been sent by their parent or guardian.'
'By punctual attendance it means attendance at school at 9am in the morning and 2pm in the afternoon'.
