Educational Foundation of Abigail Bailey and Ann Levett

In 1760, Mrs Abigail Bailey and Mrs Ann Levett of Walton-on-Trent, South Derbyshire, purchased 23 acres 36 pole of land in Hargrave for £260, the income from which was to fund the education of the children of the parish through a free school. The two ladies had provided a similar amount for a school to be built in Walton-on-Trent, also in 1760.

The first dedicated school building was dated 1820 (since demolished) and a new school building was built using materials provided by Mr Henry C Wise in 1864 whilst he was the Lord of the Manor. It was built to school up to 100 children and provided an adjacent dwelling for the schoolmaster.

The Trustees appointed the majority of the School Managers (the Parish Council also appointed one), who employed the teachers and caretakers. The school adopted the national syllabus in 1895.

In 1951 the Trustees opted to become a Voluntary Aided school and in 1956 successfully applied to the Peterborough Diocese Education Committee to pay the other 50% of the costs. However, with falling numbers, the school was closed in December 1967.

The post-school charity derived its income from the rental of former schoolmaster's house and from the hiring of the former schoolrooms.

Following the adoption of a new governing document in June 2010 and the winding up and transfer of the assets of the Chelveston Village Hall Association in August 2010, the Trustees of the Foundation are required to use the charity's income firstly to maintain these properties in good repair and to provide/run a Village Hall for the parish of Chelveston-cum-Caldecott. Any surplus income should then be used to support the education of young persons in the Parish.

The sale of investments, arising in turn from the sale of the former endowment lands in 1908 for £500, allowed the Trustees to purchase the adjacent land for car parking and amenity use in 2012. The charity's land is vested with the Official Custodian for Charities (part of the Charity Commission).

The charity was succeeded by the Educational Foundation of Bailey and Levett CIO in 2025, when the Trustees transferred the assets to the new CIO and then dissolved the original charity.