was noted for its advanced curriculum and absence of corporal punishment. It produced a number of distinguished alumni, including eleven future members of Parliament. One of these was WE Forster (1818–1886), a member of a local Tottenham Quaker family. He took the 1870 Education Act through Parliament, ensuring every child was entitled to at least an elementary education. Other well-known alumni included Dr Daniel Tuke (1827–95), an early mental health physician and Joseph Lister (1827–1912), a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. Grove House School was one of several boarding schools in Tottenham with a nationwide reputation that were established from the late 17th century to the end of the 18th century. These included Bathsua Makin's ‘school for gentlewomen’ at Tottenham High Cross, and Bruce Castle School in Lordship Lane, established by the Hill family. One member of the Hill family was Sir Rowland Hill, who established the postal system by the introduction of the penny post. Tottenham Polytechnic (1897–1936) Grove House School closed in 1878 and from 1892 the building was used for classes in art, science and technical subjects. In 1897 it was purchased by Middlesex County Council, becoming Tottenham Polytechnic. In 1901 the Polytechnic shared accommodation with the newly opened Tottenham County School (see below), which used the Grove House premises during the day time. Polytechnic day classes were confined to the school of art, with science, technical and commercial studies largely taking place in the evening. In 1909 the Polytechnic offered courses in art, physiology and hygiene, science, technology, building construction, plumbing and carpentry, as well as land surveying, bus routine and gas manufacture. The commercial department included the theory and practice of commerce, shorthand and typing, commercial geography and history. In 1910 additional buildings were constructed at the rear and the premises then comprised an assembly hall for up to 500 people, 11 classrooms, laboratories, dark room, art rooms and cookery rooms. The trade and industry courses had now expanded to include quantity surveying and mechanical engineering. There were also specialist classes in telegraphy and telephony taught by a GPO engineer, and gas supply, taught on the Gas Company premises by a gas works engineer. Particularly diverse were the commercial courses, which included commercial and industrial law, modern foreign languages (‘excellent teaching’), shorthand and typing, banking, book keeping and accountancy. In addition to the Trade and Commercial courses, there were domestic classes in cookery, dressmaking and millinery.