Congratulations to school on 100

IT was a pleasure to join children and young people, staff (past and present), governors and other invited guests for afternoon tea at Woodlawn School to celebrate their centenary.

The school started life as an open air school on a site in North Shields. It originally consisted of two marquees, one for teaching and one for dining, 30 children and two teachers. It was for delicate children recommended by a local GP – those with rickets, TB, anaemia, debility or bronchitis.

A new building came in 1925 when one of its tents eventually collapsed, becoming known as Tynemouth Open Air School and taking up to 110 pupils.

How things have changed. It moved to its now permanent home in Monkseaton in 1979 and has always been a flagship school in the eyes of North Tyneside Council, pioneering new ways of working with a whole range of children, reaching international recognition and always with the aim of giving all its students every possible opportunity of playing a fulfilling and meaningful role in the Community.

The children really turned up the volume with their rendering of “Reach for the Stars” and role model Paralympics champion Stephen Miller showed how it was done when he unveiled a delightful wall hanging tapestry depicting the history of the school. Happy 100th birthday Woodlawn School. CLLR MURIEL GREEN, Weetslade Ward