WE'VE all been to leaving drinks for a colleague at work, but how do you throw a farewell party for an entire school?

That is the challenge facing the leaders at King Alfred's Academy in Wantage.

Early next year, after 60 years, King Alfred's East Site, formerly Icknield Comprehensive School, is to be demolished.

The school is selling the site to Bovis Homes to be turned into a 150-home estate.

The sale will fund a massive redevelopment of King Alfred's Centre Site as the school makes the long-awaited move from a three-site model down to two.

Now it has announced it was hold a day of celebrations saying 'Farewell to East Site' on Sunday, October 22.

The Springfield Road site will be open from 10am to 4pm for former pupils to come and 'pay their last respects' and maybe relive some cherished schooldays memories.

Those memories will include the beloved Sweatbox youth club at East Site, which had provided a platform to young musicians for three decades.

King Alfred's spokeswoman Roxy Boulter said: "This is an ideal opportunity for anyone wishing to take a last look round, re-visit old haunts, and to say goodbye to what was formerly Icknield School."

Guided tours will be given around the site through the day and refreshments will be served.

There will also be a chance to view a collection of old photos and memorabilia from more than half a century.

That same weekend, a separate reunion is also being planned at The Beacon in Wantage on Friday, October 20, for anyone aged 65 and over who attended Icknield.

Anyone interested can find our further information by searching for 'Icknield school reunion' on Facebook.

Aware of that plan, King Alfred's has also arranged for two 'special' tours of East Site that Friday night and the following morning.

To book a place on one of these walks, or to submit exhibits or photos for the Sunday display email jsmith@kaacademy.org

The party planning comes after Bovis Homes revealed its final designs for the new East Site housing estate.

The proposed development now includes 60 two-bedroom houses, 52 three-beds, 13 four-beds and 15 five-beds as well as 10 one-bedroom flats.

Forty per cent of the homes will be 'affordable' social housing run by a housing association or the district council.

Bovis will also pay out more than £1.6m towards local council services – including school places – as part of standard legal payments to mitigate the effects of its estate.

King Alfred's will continue using East Site for the rest of this term, but finally leave at Christmas.

From January, the 650 pupils in Years 7 and 8 will be based at West Site on Challow Road, while the 1,200 teenagers in Years 9, 10 and 11 and the sixth form will be based at Centre Site on Portway.