Hitchin’s British Schools Museum is to benefit from a new partnership with a firm of financial advisors, ahead of an exhibition on educator Joseph Lancaster.

The Comet: British Schools Museum manager Sam Mason receives a cheque from Lyndhurst Financial Management's Geoff Newman. Picture: LFMBritish Schools Museum manager Sam Mason receives a cheque from Lyndhurst Financial Management's Geoff Newman. Picture: LFM (Image: Archant)

The museum has teamed up with Lyndhurst Financial Management, which will sponsor it and host events in the historic building. It dates back to 1837, and is the only Lancasterian schoolroom left in the world built to the teaching pioneer’s exact specifications.

Lancaster’s system, based around rewarding pupils for passing on their learning to younger peers, spread as far as North and South America.

British Schools Museum manager Sam Mason said the team intended to shine a light on his legacy with a major exhibition in 2019.

“It makes a huge difference to the museum to have the support of local businesses and the surrounding community,” said Sam.

“Joseph Lancaster was an extraordinary man who made a profound difference to the education of the poor, especially in Hitchin. We are so proud to keep his name alive.

“We welcome so many local schools into the museum and pupils are shocked at how 300 pupils sat in one huge room and were taught by the ‘monitors’ in the next year up.

“Of course, schools were much stricter and more basic educationally back then – but without Joseph Lancaster we wouldn’t have one of the best education systems in the world today. His influence has been global.”

Lyndhurst’s Geoff Newman said partnering up with the museum made sense as “we too are educators, helping our clients make better financial decisions”.

He added: “Two of our financial experts from the Hitchin office are already mentoring students from Hitchin Boys’ School, as we strongly believe in the importance of supporting and educating the next generation.”