Education in Tudor England

Did the Mary Rose’s crew go to school?

In this month’s learning blog, Jane, one of our learning volunteers, is taking a look at what options were available for the Tudors when it came to education…

Tudor Schools

In Tudor England you had to pay to go to school. Often, only boys from rich families went to school while the girls were educated at home. Poor children generally did not go to school, instead going to work from an early age to earn money for their families. Many boys attended parish schools where the local vicar taught basic skills. The wealthiest families would hire a tutor to teach their boys at home.

At a glance

Boys as young as three were Ac magnis facilisi suscipit duis rhoncus tellus ultrices vitae parturient fermentum euismod, aliquet auctor purus neque cum est felis inceptos hendrerit ornare platea senectus, nullam nascetur ut conubia.

Boys often started school at the age of four

Grammar school taught Latin and Greek as well as logic, mathematics and rhetoric.

There were still opportunities for poorer children. Local women would run schools, often in their own homes, for girls and boys.

Books were expensive and rare in classrooms, so pupils read from hornbooks instead.

Boys often started school at the age of 4, learning to read and write, then at 7 they went on to grammar school.

Grammar school taught Latin and Greek as well as logic, mathematics and rhetoric. Pupils were often required to speak in Latin while at school. Unlike our modern week, with two days off school at the weekend, Tudor schools were open six days a week! The school day started at 7.00am in winter and 6.00am in summer and didn’t end until about 5.00pm. ‘Petty Schools’ had shorter hours, to allow poorer boys to go to work as well.

There were still opportunities for poorer children. Local women would run schools, often in their own homes, for girls and boys. These school dames would teach local reading and simple maths. Girls might be taught sewing and boys how to write. These came to be known as ‘Dame Schools’.

Writing practice often focused on religious texts, like the Lord’s Prayer. Books were expensive and rare in classrooms, so pupils read from hornbooks instead. The alphabet or prayers were pinned to wooden boards and covered with a layer of transparent cow’s horn.