School celebrates 150th birthday with tea party

TWO days of celebration were held at Watlington Primary School to mark its 150th anniversary.

Former pupils, teachers and parents returned for a special tea party and were greeted by the current children as they entered the school hall, which was filled with photos and memorabilia from the school’s history as well as bunting made by the children.

The following day there was a whole school party where the children went in dressed as pupils from over the decades and there were maths activities based on the number 150.

The school opened in 1874 in the centre of Watlington and moved to its current site at Icknield Community College in Love Lane in 2000. Gemma Sterjo, who has been the headteacher for two years, said: “We think it’s really important to mark this event with present and past staff and governors as well. I feel really privileged to be headteacher at this school marking this anniversary. The children are so excited.

“Every child has made piece of bunting and the hall was fizzing with excitement because the children were coming in and they wanted to see their little bit of bunting. We are all really excited.

“We found a lot of the photos on display in files. It is great to see all the photos of the old school.

“We have really come together to make an exceptional community as a school. We’ve had some tough times, we’ve had some really sad times, but I’m really pleased to say that we've had more happy times. We’ve always got through them, happy or sad, together.”

She thanked parents who made cakes and helped serve tea and coffee.

Janet Vaughan, who was headteacher for 14 years, said: “It’s a great honour to see the 150th anniversary come around.

“The school looks wonderful, absolutely amazing considering it was built 24 years ago. It looks like new. Gemma has done an amazing job as head and the whole staff have made a really lovely school for the community.

“I was the head for 14 years, 12 years in the old school and two years in the new school. It’s great to come back and see it thriving.”

Angela Briggs, who was the head for eight years, said: “I appointed Gemma, so it’s lovely to see one of my prodigies becoming the head. I am really proud of that.

“The school looks tremendous and is a credit to the work of all teachers. People need to realise how lucky they are to have such a good school in the community.”

Alan Craddock, who taught at the school from 1974 to 1996, gifted the school a weather vane from the old school which he had refurbished as a surprise.

He said: “It was found when the old school was demolished and was given to me by Glyn Jones, who lived next door.

“It was lovely to come back and see all these people here.”