The reports of the School Inspectors on the examination results of Victorian schools were copied into the official Log Books. They are interesting to read nowadays because they highlight the lessons which were seen as important at the time.
The old favourites of reading, writing, and arithmetic (first called the three "R"s by someone who couldn't spell !) were always top of the list.
This exam report is from Llangamarch School in 1891...

"Mental Arithmetic was practically a failure, so was the attempt to add up columns of pounds, shillings and pence. Pretty fair intelligence was on the whole shown in English. The Needlework was very fair. Geography was only moderate. The Singing by Note was not good enough to merit the recommendation of the higher grant. More attention should be given to Reading and Numbers in the Infant Class"...
Adding up money was a bit harder when there were four farthings to a penny, two halfpennies to a penny, 12 pennies to a shilling, two shillings and sixpence to half a crown, and twenty shillings to a pound ! There were guineas as well...

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