Bickerstaffe celebrate 175 years of serving the community
by Educate Magazine June 19, 2019 · All News / Primary School News
Bickerstaffe CE School celebrated in style to mark the school’s 175 birthday, which included approximately 120 guests.
After visiting classes to talk to the children, special guest the Bishop of Liverpool, Paul Bayes opened proceedings by offering prayers and blessings for the school, children, staff, parents and local community. The school were also delighted to welcome ex members of staff, ex pupils as well as residents from the local area to help them celebrate.
Two bagpipers lead the children and VIP guests from the school building onto the field where they performed in front of an audience.
The children from class one sang a song that they had created especially for the occasion, class two children performed a poem that they had written with help from local resident, Sheila Beeby and class three re-enacted memories from past pupils over the years.
The audience were amazed to learn that in approximately 1908, a child had kicked a ball over the school fence into the adjoining farm. Upon collecting the ball, the farm manager locked the child in a shed for the afternoon as a punishment!
Class four then performed another song with dance actions for the audience. Guests also enjoyed watching the children perform traditional morris and maypole dances, which the school performs annually in June at the Village Treat Day.
The school were also delighted that Gaynor Owen, the Mayor of West Lancashire, attended and officially cut the birthday cake, which signalled the start of afternoon tea.
The school’s PTFA served a selection of sandwiches and cakes with tea and coffee and guests were entertained by former pupils Isla Webster and Isobel Housley who sang for the audience as they tucked in to their afternoon tea, guests were also given a small gift to take away with them to remind them of the special occasion.
Headteacher Maggie Teachen, said: “Everyone enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new acquaintances. The weather, which had been mostly rain, stayed dry with some bouts of sunshine”.
