Jack Kitching Archive: Records of the Board of Education Inspectors' Association

This collection is formed of three parts:

1. Board of Education Inspectors' Association Records: Comprising Executive, Section and Divisional Committee minutes and papers, annual reports, constitution and rules, Treasurer's papers, ledgers, retired members papers, the H.M. Inspectorate Information Gazette and inspection reports.

2. Historical records: Comprising lists of inspectors, papers associated with the history of HMI publication 'The Inspectors' Calling - HMI and the Shaping of Educational Policy, England and Wales, 1945-1992' by Stuart Maclure, and general historical accounts from HMIs.

3. Personal archives: Comprises the personal papers of individual HMIs variously containing biographical histories and memoirs, texts of talks and lectures, and papers detailing subject specialisms.

The Board of Education Inspectors' Association Archive was named after Jack Kitching who was an HMI (Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools) from 1973-1982 and subsequently Honorary Archivist of the Association.

Founded in 1919 the Association was affiliated to the Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA) and its Executive acted as the staff side of the Inspectorate Whitley Committee. Its main concerns were therefore salaries, pensions and conditions of service, although it also dealt with the function and activities of HMIs.

In 1945 it changed its name to the Association of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (England and Wales) (AHMI) and in 1973 it amalgamated with the Association of First Division Civil Servants (FDA).

The collection was arranged by the Association's Honorary Archivist(s) prior to its donation and this arrangement has been largely maintained.

Open

The Institute of Education also holds the papers of James Lumsden (DC/LUM) and HMI Gabriel Goldstein (DC/GG).