THESE pupils were clowning around as they stepped back in time to the Middle Ages.

They were pupils at The Cherwell School in Marston Ferry Road, North Oxford, preparing for an evening of medieval entertainment in 1981.

The show, entitled Of Sondry Folk, included singing from the school’s folk group and dancing from the St Edward’s School morris men.

One of the cast also had to suffer the agonies of the stocks, a favourite medieval punishment.

Three plays were performed, including St George and the Dragon and a Mystery Play.

To create the right atmosphere, there were also stalls selling herbs and old-fashioned food and drink, and pupils wore medieval-style dress.

Cherwell School has been one of Oxford’s big success stories since it opened 50 years ago.

Heavily oversubscribed every year, the 1,800-pupil school has been consistently in the Ofsted ‘outstanding’ category and last year became one of three Oxfordshire schools named as Teaching Schools, to share expertise across the county.

At first, there were doubts whether Cherwell would ever be built. A new secondary school for North Oxford was included in the city’s 1946 development plan.

It was hoped that work would start in 1948, but the Government’s post-war policy was to allow new secondary schools only to meet the needs of the new population.

Schools were built to serve new housing at Barton, Northway and Blackbird Leys, but North Oxford had to wait.

Work did not start on what was to become The Cherwell School until 1961.

With some buildings still incomplete, it opened in September 1963 with 323 pupils, drawn mainly from five primary schools in North Oxford and Jericho, 12 teachers, one full-time secretary, a part-time administrative assistant and a caretaker.

The official opening took place on July 2, 1964. The ceremony was performed by Lord Shawcross, who said: “I think I can honestly say I have never seen a better secondary school, either in this country or abroad.”

The headmaster, Eric Baldwin, described the building of the school as a long battle.

He said: “The contractors were as glad to be away from here as we were to be rid of them.”

After the opening ceremony and speeches, guests were taken on a tour of the school and saw exhibitions of pupils’ work and a gymnastics display by girls.

Can anyone name any of the medieval characters pictured above? Write and let me know.