Sunday School " is the generic name for many different types of pursued on Sundays by various denominations.

It had its origins when Hannah Ball, a native of founded a school within the town in 176 However the founding of Sunday Schools is more commonly associated with the work of, editor of the Gloucester Journal , who saw the need to prevent children in the slums descending into crime. The first Sunday School in London opened at under. By 1831, Sunday Schools in Great Britain were attended weekly by 1,250,000 children, approximately 25 percent of the population. Their work in the industrial cities was increasingly supplemented by (charitable provision for the industrial poor), and eventually by publicly funded education under the late nineteenth century School Boards. Sunday schools continued alongside such increasing educational provision, and new forms also developed such as the movement which began in the in the late 19th century.

Some operate Sunday Schools, though Catholics commonly refer to Sunday School as 'Catechism class'. Sunday Schools, contrary to the name, are virtually never recognized educational institutions; rather than offering formal grades or transcripts, Sunday Schools simply attempt to offer meaningful instruction concerning Christianand keep little or no record of performance for any given week. Attendance is often tracked as a means of encouraging children to appear regularly, and awards are frequently given for reaching attendance milestones.