Children have been learning about the rich history of their school, which is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year.
Pupils, parents and staff of Holy Trinity Church of England First School in Berwick joined together for a special service in May.
Led by the Revd Lee Taylor at Holy Trinity Church, the service was also attended by the Bishop of Berwick, the Right Revd Mark Wroe and the wider community, with former pupils and teachers turning out to celebrate and share memories.
“The service was a wonderful occasion,” said headteacher Nick Shaw. “Everybody played their part and the children read out information from key dates in the school’s history.
“We sung some very uplifting children’s hymns and there was a lovely atmosphere at the service. It was a great way to celebrate our history and to look forward to what we hope will be a bright future for our school.”
Holy Trinity School dates back to 1725, when money was donated by Captain James Bolton and other men to help educate underprivileged children in the town.
A school was established as Berwick Charity School. Its name, location and purpose changed over time (notably serving as a school for boys in the 19th century), but it has been on the present site, at Bell Tower Place, since 1987.
Children explored the history and changes in education generally during a successful Creative Week, which included art and a walk around historic sites in Berwick, which were part of the school’s past, as well as visits from people previously associated with the school.
A specially made slideshow presentation was produced, featuring key facts and photos from down the generations.
Holy Trinity has secured funding through the Community Foundation North East from the Northern Angel Fund, and the Smail Family Fund, which, among other things, will enable an artist to work with staff and pupils on a creative art project and a separate drama project to commemorate the anniversary.
The St Hilda Trust has kindly provided funding for a project to plant a commemorative tree and create an associated artwork about the project.
This is also a significant year for the school’s future. It will become a primary school from September, increasing the upper age limit to include Years 5 and 6, due to a change from three-tier to two-tier education in the area.
Two new classrooms will be added – one as part of a new extension while the other will see an existing, internal room repurposed.