Esq. and niece of the Bishop of Worcester, who married Sir John Knightley in 1779. The Lady Knightley, whose name the school bore, provided everything for the education of twelve poor girls. The six younger girls were boarded and had clothing provided, including boots, shawls and bonnets. They were known as Sir Charles' Girls and were taught chiefly domestic work by a person from the village; this included the spinning and weaving of sheets. The six older girls were taught in much the same way and were known as Lady Knightley Girls. The older girls went to Fawsley each day to be taught by the housekeeper how to cook and clean, make beds, set tables, feed fowl, etc. They, too, were provided with all their clothes and at the age of twelve took a Labour Certificate examination. If they passed they could leave school, starting in situations with a good knowledge of household work. Otherwise, they stayed until they were fourteen. The school building was used in later years from 1870 as an infant school, supported by the Knightleys, until the County Council took over the education of the village children. It has now been listed as a building of historic interest. The National School was started by Mrs Mary Green, second wife of the Rev. Thomas Green, who was vicar from 1816 to 1871. It was used by the older children and controlled by church managers for about sixty years. Initially, Mrs Green gathered a number of church-going girls in the vicarage on Sunday afternoons to learn poetry and hymns. She began to teach the girls to read and write and then decided to take a cottage for the purpose. The parish had formerly kept its own poor in a workhouse opposite the vicarage, but this building was later converted into three cottages to be disposed of by the vicar at his discretion; when one of these cottages became vacant the school for girls was started. As soon as the next cottage became vacant it was taken for a school for boys and the poor were repaid for the loss of the cottages by so much coal each year. The third cottage was finally added to the school. When repairs were needed to bring the buildings up to acceptable standards; insufficient money could be found to do these; the school was therefore closed and the present school was built