Sewing classes were thought to be a very important part of the education of girls in Victorian times. The job prospects for girls were then very limited, and most would become household servants in the local 'Big House' or work for local farmers or shopkeepers. Employment as servants was called 'going into service'.
Most schools had a part-time 'sewing mistress' and the girls were taught to make up 'samplers'. A sampler was a piece of cloth on which the girls sewed patterns, letters of the alphabet, and simple designs, using different stitches and brightly coloured threads.
This entry from the 1876 Log Book of Crickhowell British School mentions samplers being made by some of the girls -

It was usual for the girls to sew their own names and the date as part of the design, and the Victorian samplers which have survived are now quite valuable. In many cases the original bright colours of the threads have faded, but the children often proved that they were very skilled at needlework.

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