National Education Museum steps up hunt for home in Portsmouth with talks held with Portsmouth City Council over former records office

The News revealed this year that a team of trustees has been working up a delivery plan since 2017 to create a ‘significant’ heritage site which would celebrate the evolution of teaching and schools from its infancy to the modern day. They have already raised £160,000 to kick-start the project.

The city is seen as an ideal location as it is already steeped in historical attractions, has a top-ranking university and was the proud home of John Pounds, who was responsible for the concept of Victorian ‘ragged schools’, which provided free tuition in reading, writing and maths for poor children.

Now National Education Museum (NEM) trustees have met council officials to start a conversation about possible sites around the city. One venue they have their eye on is the old records office in Museum Road. The building is in a very poor state of repair and due for demolition, with the site lined up for housing.

But, in lodging an ‘official expression of interest’ in the building, trustees stated they wanted to explore the possibilities of working with the council to save the building and provide a resource for the city which will 'enhance the existing number of historical attractions, attract more visitors, families, school groups and those involved in education including students and potentially overseas visitors interested in the education system’.

Speaking after the meeting with the council, director of operations and secretary to trustees Jean Roberts, said: ‘The building is in a very poor state of repair, but we are currently in dialogue with the council over possible use by the NEM after presenting a detailed expression of interest in the building and site. We had a useful meeting with council officers and at least we have now made direct contact and shown that we are a serious and determined group with ambitious plans to establish our first premises and HQ in Portsmouth.’

Mrs Roberts added: ‘Difficult times are ahead this winter for everyone but we are remaining steadfast in our push to raise money and spread the word about our fantastic project.’

Calls to save the records office from demolition are not new. Campaigners have previously said it should be saved and used as the home for a Sherlock Holmes Museum, which was backed by actor and comedian Stephen Fry along with a petition signed by more than 1,000 people. Last year an application was made to Historic England to have the former Edwardian barracks listed but the organisation said it did not meet its criteria ‘in the national context’ and rejected the request. However, it said the council could decide to give it local listed designation due to its position in the conservation area and its contribution to ‘the military history of Portsmouth’.

Last summer the council commissioned two independent reports. A suitability survey showed the building was not right for use as a Conan Doyle Museum and a condition survey demonstrated the ‘significant costs to retain and stabilise the building’ – costs which would rise should the building be used as a museum. The council also spoke to people living closest to the site, which is owned by the council’s housing service, about how they would feel about using it for ‘appropriate and sensitively designed homes’.

Former city councillor Alicia Denny, who has been working with Gunwharf resident Alvin Edyvane to save the building, said: ‘Alvin and I are heartened by the National Education Museum's interest in possibly taking over the site, which would have many advantages for their projected use. We believe the building could be refurbished for a much lower cost than the council has previously suggested and that a museum or community use is far more appropriate than housing for this heritage site. If it goes ahead, this project requires a great deal of public will, as well as money, but we believe it is in the interests of everyone in the city to preserve and enhance this century-old building instead of demolishing it.’

The aim of the museum is to celebrate the ‘record of remarkable achievements in education’ and the ‘commitment to teaching and learning’ which has been a significant part of the nation's culture over many centuries. The NEM trust’s vision adds: ‘It will inform and fascinate and it will entertain. It will provide its visitors, in person and online, with fond memories and with some amusement about long-abandoned practices. Then, there will be so much more. Adopting the exciting ideas of a 21st century museum, we will also aim to educate, to add to understanding of purpose and by doing so to stimulate a new consensus about the values of education for our children and of lifelong learning.’

The project has the backing of Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan, a trustee and Labour’s Shadow Schools Minister. At an event at the House of Commons he hosted to celebrate reaching the half-way point of the funding target in the summer, he told The News: ‘This is a significant museum that will not only make a real difference to our city but also tell a brilliant story of education in our country.’

Other trustees include Amanda Martin, former city teacher and past president of the National Education Union, and Catherine Carroll-Meehan, a director of the University of Portsmouth Academy Trust. Patrons include former Education Secretary Baroness Morris, physicist and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili and children’s author and broadcaster Professor Gervase Phinn.

For more information go to the National Education Museum website or register your support with an email to [email protected].

A city council spokesman confirmed that the expression of interest had been received from the trust and a meeting held.