Chippenham school marks half a century (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham school marks half a century

3:00pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in News By Tom Mooney

St Mary’s Primary School in Chippenham welcomed old friends yesterday as it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Parents and staff members past and present joined the children for a celebration mass and a tea party at the Catholic school on Rowden Hill to mark the big occasion.

Head teacher Sarah Wenbridge said: “We had a huge celebration mass, which was wonderful.

“The children really enjoyed it and got involved with it.

“We had pupils singing and playing guitar and recorder in the service. They were magnificent.

“It was great to see so many of the old faces from the school’s past here, as well as many of the members of support staff and even teachers who came here as children.

“It is nice to retain that sense of history.”

There has been plenty of support for the celebrations, with parents making more than 400 cakes for the tea party.

Mrs Wenbridge said: “It has been a real team effort. The staff have been outstanding in their efforts to get everything ready for today. It is a momentous occasion.”

St Mary’s was built by the Order of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God and yesterday marked exactly 50 years since the foundations were first laid.

Mrs Wenbridge said the church is at the heart of everything at the school.

She said: “Father Desmond Millett, who is our parish priest and was the chair of governors until recently, is so supportive of everything we do. Everything that happens here he is involved in.

“The parents give so much to the school and a large part of why they do that is because of what he brings.

“Our values as a Catholic school mean the needs of each child are so important but we also expect their best and push them to achieve it.

“That is something that has been at the core of everything we believe in at St Mary’s.

“We have a tremendous community feeling.”