ABSTRACT
John Wesley established Kingswood boarding school, alongside the colliers' school that he had opened seven years earlier, because he was particularly concerned for the ongoing nurture of children from Methodist homes. This chapter focuses on the boarding school during the period from its establishment in 1746 to 1780, examining how questions of piety, gender and class defined its pedagogy. From 1780, the character of the school began to change. The catalyst for this, and the impact on the school. The chapter examines the work of some of Wesley's contemporaries in the period under review in order to draw comparisons with grammar schools, Dissenting academies and universities of the day. Nevertheless, while many schools adapted in the face of growing concerns over established forms of education, Wesley appears to have been intransigent in the face of criticism, maintaining his belief in the merits of his educational model.
