A SCHOOL in Chipping Sodbury is celebrating a quarter of a century as a primary school.

St John’s Mead Primary School was the result of a disputed amalgamation of separate infant and junior schools in 1990 and staff and pupils are now preparing to mark the anniversary with a series of community events.

The school was formed from the merger of St John’s Junior School and Painters Mead Infant School, which were already located next to each other on Hounds Road, following seven years of negotiations between the two schools and the education authority.

Laura Hamilton, who started at Painters Mead school in 1982 and now teaches Years 1 and 2, said: “I think it was the policy at the time.

“We fought it off the first time but a lot of schools were going through it.

“Until then we were completely separate sites, children came to Painters Mead until Year 3 and then started junior school. Then we became one big church school, which is the reason why we have two school halls. 
"It has been a very happy place with lovely staff.”

But the history of a school on the site dates back to the 1930s when the Sodbury Secondary Modern School first occupied it and it was linked with the Old Grammar School.

As St John’s Mead, the school has been lead by four different head teachers and although the buildings have remained the same, there have been dramatic changes to the grounds.

Reception teacher Judith Welsh, who opened the school’s nursery in 1992 and runs the St John’s Mead gardening club, said: “Compared to other schools our outside areas are amazing.

“Within the grounds we have an orchard, woodlands, a pond, a reflective garden, fire pit and we grow vegetables in the gardening club.

“None of that was here when the schools were amalgamated, it was just fields, but now it is fabulous.”

Existing head teacher Nicola Berry, who took over in 2007, said: “Our biggest strength as a school is community. Former staff, pupils and parents still contribute to the school and we embody that sense of community here.

“We have a unique learning environment particularly with our school grounds where we teach science, PE and even music.

“We are also a nurturing school of the children and their whole family.”

The 25th anniversary will be marked by the burial of a time capsule, filled by pupils, and open afternoon on Wednesday, September 23 (1.30-3pm) when all past pupils and staff are invited to view a photograph display and enjoy a whole school dance and performance by the school choir.

A museum of items from the 1990s will also be on view and refreshments will be available, confirm attendance at the school office.

A new school prayer will be presented in the same week and a barn dance for past and present parents and staff takes place on Friday, September 25 (7-10pm) featuring folk band Cannon Fodder.