Portsmouth Anglican Infants School Broad Street

This poignant black‑and‑white image shows the Portsmouth Anglican Infants School on Broad Street shortly before its closure. A solitary mother stands at the kerb with a pram, her figure dwarfed by the boarded‑up façade and the stripped exterior of the former school building. Wooden hoardings surround the site, signalling that this once‑bustling centre of early education is in the final stages of demolition or renovation.

Historical Context
By 1938, Portsmouth was evolving rapidly: older schoolhouses—many built in the Victorian era to serve the dockyard districts—were being replaced by larger, modern facilities with improved sanitary and classroom standards. Infants schools, catering to children aged five and under, played a crucial role in preparing youngsters for primary education, teaching basic literacy, numeracy and social skills. The transition from small parish schools to new, purpose‑built establishments reflected wider interwar efforts to raise educational attainment and child welfare across England.

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