Up to the early 1800’s the Government did not consider they had a role in schools, but society was becoming more aware that schools were important and necessary, especially for poorer families. The ability to read was thought to be a way to improve the life chances of the poor and literacy was seen as essential for working people to understand their responsibilities as citizens. Another motivator was the ambition to reduce crime. Charities and Societies became actively involved in the growth of schooling. In 1808 the Royal Lancastrian Society (later the British and Foreign School Society) was created to promote schools using the Monitorial System. Another organisation, the National Society was set up in 1811 to establish similar schools but based on the teachings of the Church of England in contrast to the non-denominational Christian instruction of the Lancastrian schools. The National Society aimed to establish a National School in every parish of England and Wales.
In response to this changing views about the importance of education, from 1833, the state provided an annual grant of £20,000, shared between the two societies, with the much larger National Society receiving a proportionally larger share. The grants increased over time, and as grants were provided from public funds accountability became a focus.
The Government employed Her Majesty’s Inspectors for Schools (HMIs) to undertake school visits and inspections. The first inspectors for this purpose were appointed in 1837 (two of them), and were required to collect information and above all to be supportive with the clear requirement to “… afford them your assistance in all efforts for improvement in which they may desire your aid; but that you are in no respect to interfere with the instruction, management or discipline of the school, or to press upon them any suggestions which they may be disinclined to receive.”
The “Committee of Council on Education” (the precursor of the Education Department, now DfE) was a body established in 1839 by the Privy Council in the UK to oversee the distribution of parliamentary funds for public education. At this time the grant was increased by 50% – but even so, £30,000 was less than half the £70 000 allocated for the Royal Stables at the same time.
With the greater emphasis on educational outcomes and accountability for public funds from 1839 HMIs were appointed, with their work initially focussing on Elementary Schools. Their goal was to improve education, with HMI assessing “the apparatus and internal management of schools, in school management and discipline, and in the methods of teaching”. These inspections were linked to government grants, and the inspection of elementary schools was made a condition of government grants from 1839.
At first the inspectorate was organised by religious denomination, but the denominational nature of inspection was abolished in the 1870s and replaced by a system based on territorial districts. From this date, HMIs did not have to comment on religious instruction.