Community celebrates Valley Primary School's 70th anniversary

Valley Primary School in Mirehouse, Whitehaven, hosted a combined Platinum Jubilee celebration and Christmas fayre to mark the special occasion.

Current and former staff and pupils attended the event, which has raised more than £2,000 for the school.

The community look back at Valley Primary School through the decades (Image: Valley Primary School)

Valley Primary School opened on November 24, 1952, and the school’s current headteacher, Sarah Jardine, has family ties to the school. Her dad was among the first pupils to attend.

She said: “It’s gone full circle that I’ve become head. My aunts and my grandma came to have a look round.

Alpacas and goats arrive at the school (Image: Valley Primary School)

“It’s been really successful. We had a photo gallery up in the hall of the last seven decades of the school.

“We had lots of ex-staff and pupils of the school who came and had tours. It was lovely.

Former staff and pupils returned to the school to mark the special occasion (Image: Valley Primary School)

“The Mirehouse community is tight-knit and we had loads of people in the community come and have a look round to remind them of their old school.

“We had loads of artefacts for them to look at.

“We combined it with our Christmas fayre for the children. We had a Winter Wonderland in our hall. Santa came to visit in our grotto.”

The Grinch also made an appearance (Image: Valley Primary School)

Staff and pupils will also produce a school magazine to commemorate the last seven decades after being awarded funding from Well Whitehaven.

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