In 1870, the Elementary Education Act brought compulsory primary schooling and with it the active and passive female franchise for the newly established School Boards. This study examines how women discussed these new rights and generated opportunities for women in the election campaigns, administration and teaching profession. I also show how the London School Board implemented the ideological programme of reforming working-class pupils in the hope of generating an improved nation and contributing to a successful future amidst fin-de-siècle fears of decay.