Bethan Boulter

Research project

Supervisors: Dr Dav Smith and Dr Matthew Jenkins

Summary of research project:

Currently, academic research into the archaeology of school buildings, especially the influence of contemporary ideologies on school architecture and the subsequent impact this had on pupils’ experiences is lacking. Building on previous archaeological research into institutions, this PhD aims to address these gaps through a visual and archival analysis of schools constructed between 1870 and 1914 in response to the 1870 Education Act to explore how community and state ideologies regarding the education of young people were materialised within the built environment, and how in turn these impacted the experiences of the children who attended these schools.

It is anticipated that this project will broaden understandings of the extent of the variation in school architecture from this period and contribute towards conversations about the conservation of educational heritage. 

Profile

I completed my BSc in Archaeology at the University of Leicester between 2012-2015 where I developed an interest in Osteology. My dissertation, which was awarded both departmental and national prizes, focused on the estimation of sex using tooth crown measurements. Following this, I completed a MSc in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Cranfield University in 2016 and a MA in Archaeology at the University of Reading between 2019-2021.

In between my academic studies, I have also trained and subsequently worked as a teacher. It was this experience of working in education alongside an interest in old architecture that encouraged me to apply for and complete a MA in Historic Buildings at the University of York. My most recent dissertation used methods commonplace within buildings archaeology to investigate the Yorkshire School for the Blind when it was situated at King’s Manor in York between 1880-1922 and explore the lived experience of the pupils at the school. 

Research Interests:

• Buildings archaeology
• School buildings
• History of education
• Lived experiences of children in the past

Publications and Academic Awards

Academic Awards:

2016 - The Royal Archaeological Institute Tony Baggs Undergraduate Dissertation Prize

2015 - The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology Undergraduate Dissertation Prize

2015 - Samuel and Rachel May Prize in Archaeology

2015 - Garner Prize

2015 - Dame Rosemary Cramp Dissertation Prize