MEMORIES of life at West Oxford Community Primary School are sought ahead of its 100th anniversary.

The school opened its doors for the first time at its site in Ferry Hinksey Road in 1914 and celebrates its centenary next year.

To coincide with the milestone, school leaders and parents have launched a project to preserve memories of the school’s past.

Headteacher Clare Bladen said: “We spent the summer term focusing on the school in the past and each class did a different theme on that and on the school through the ages.

“We have some members of staff and parents who are meeting regularly to find a body of people with memories of the school, and then hopefully in January we will have an event where former pupils come together. We’d like to put together a book on the school’s 100 years.”

City and county councillor Susanna Pressel has been a governor of the school for 18 years, said the project was a great opportunity to bring the community together and there were people in the area in their 80s and 90s who went to the school, and they are now coming together and sharing their memories.

She said: “There have been three different headteachers during my time as a governor, and I’m at the stage now where the children I remember when I first started are having children of their own.”

Mum Lynne Rushton, whose children Kate, six, and Abby, four, attend the school, said it was important that young people knew about the history of their school.

She said: “I’ve been collecting old memories and photographs, and the thing is, even if you show the smallest child a picture from the past, they will see that it was different. It’s important for them to understand how things have changed and where things have come from.

“The older members of the community I have spoken to are so keen to come into the school and see how the buildings have changed.”

Former pupils or people with memories can get in touch by calling 01865 248862 or by emailing westoxfordschool100@hotmail.co.uk

Do you have memories of the school to share with the Oxford Mail? Call Katriona Ormiston on 01864 425426.