Pupils mark a half-century

Pupils at St Peter’s Primary School, Farndon, dressed in 1950s-style clothes and learnt how to dance the jive as part of events to mark their school’s 50th anniversary.

St Peter’s opened in May, 1958.

The old school building, on School Lane, was not big enough to accommodate all of the children, so a new one was built on Sandhill Road.

The old building was used as a youth centre for a short time before being demolished.

To mark the anniversary pupils played a traditional game of bowls on the school playground and ate food cooked to 1950s recipes.

They each made a knickerbocker glory, a dessert made from ice cream and tinned fruit, that was popular at the time.

Each of the five classes made a banner on a different theme, such as school, sport and history, and all 152 pupils painted a ceramic tile based on landmarks around the village.

Staff and pupils used paint to make handprints in the shape of a large sun and there was a competition to design a new school logo, which will be judged later in the year.

A summer concert, which featured the school choir, and a dance choreographed by pupils, was attended by around 120 parents.

A professional artist, Mr James Mayle of Balderton, visited the school to help the children make a mural, which is now on display.