The first school in Welland was built in Welland Court Lane under the auspices of the National Society. This organisation was founded in 1811 as the National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church in England and Wales. It promoted the building of schools to provide basic education to the children of the poor and was very closely linked to local parish churches and their clergy and congregations. Attendance was neither compulsory nor free although fees were subsidised by the church or parishioners for children whose parents could not pay.

In 1829 grants of £565 were made towards the costs of building the Welland school, which was put up on or very near to the green in Welland Court Lane, where the road forks towards Malthouse Farm (see map).

In the 1861 census records William Hillier was listed as a National School master and his wife Caroline a National School mistress. They were living in Drake Street so it is likely that they ran Welland school at that time. William was also the enumerator for the 1861 census in Welland.

Victorian schools have a grim reputation but a newspaper report from 29 June 1864 relates a happy event when 75 children from the school were treated to tea and games at Brookend House by invitation of Mrs Henry Green and her son, Mr Henry Green. The children ‘were marshalled by the mistress, Mrs. George, and led on to the spacious lawn in front of the house by the Rev. Lionel E Brown, the respected curate of the parish. Mrs Green and her son also invited many personal friends and parishioners to partake of her hospitality and to witness and join the games of the juveniles. After tea the children sang appropriate pieces, and with the visitors, entered heartily into various rustic games, including balls, croquet, foot racing, jumping and dancing on the green, to the strains of old John Heath’s violin, so well known in that neighbourhood.’ (Worcestershire Chronicle)

The National School was replaced in 1876 by Welland Board School, now Welland Primary School.