School’s plea to pupils from past half century

A SCHOOL is looking for former pupils to help them celebrate half a decade of education.

Anyone who has attended St Thomas More Catholic School in Blaydon, Gateshead, at any point over the course of its 50-year history is encouraged to contact the school with photos and memories to help shape the celebrations.

The school will turn 50 next year, and plans for various parties and reunions are being put in place, from a special mass to a celebration of school dinnerss throughout the ages.

Head teacher Jona- than Parkinson hass been part of St Thomass More for 28 of thosee nearly 50 years.

He’s served as headd of physics, and hass been head for the last 133 years. He says he’s seenn plenty of changes overr that time, but the impor- tant things have re- mained the same.

“It’s really nice to seee the things that stay thee same – the pace, the basic ethos of the place. People still recognise it who come back after 30 or 40 years,” he said.

The head says he’s anxious to hear from people from across the generations about the experiences at the school, and to welcome them back to take a look around. He said: Pupils at St Thomas More RC School in 2004 “People who started at 11 when the school opened are now coming into their sixties and retiring themselves, so it would be really good to get in touch with them, hear their memories and get as much as we can together about the school’s history.”

The school has grown much larg- er over Mr Parkinson’s time there, now accommodating a around 1,500 pupils. And a series of recent r refurbishments means e even those who’ve graduated fairly recently are wowed by the building when they come back to visit. But he says it remains fi firmly fixed as part of local li life. “People who stay in the a area send their children h here – it’s part of the comm munity in Blaydon,” Mr Parkinson said. “I’m not quite old enough to be teaching the grandchildren of people that I’ve taught, but I don’t think it will be that long.” The school is currently collecting images through a Facebook page, which can be viewed at www.facebook.com/STM50thAnniversary2017