PUPILS past and present gathered at Gosford Hill School in Kidlington to celebrate 75 years of teaching.

Former pupils visited their old school on Saturday to celebrate the landmark anniversary and herald a new era.

The ex-pupils, who were at the school in Oxford Road when it opened in 1932, were handed a copy of the first register.

The oldest, Stanley Clark, who will be 90 in October, was given gifts by the school and the Parent Teacher Association.

He also posed for a commemorative photograph with the current youngest pupil at the school, Jack Simms.

Deputy headteacher Dominic Ward said: "It was a great day, enjoyed by all the 400 people who came along to help the school celebrate.

"When the Parent Teacher Association started organising the reunion there was no way of telling just how many people would turn up.

"We were all delighted at the numbers and there were many nostalgic reunions. Some of the people who came in had not been inside the school since they left on the last day of their last term.

"It was really good to see such a fine turn-out."

Back, too, was former headteacher David Jones who is now head of a school in Bognor Regis.

Before going to Gosford Hill he was deputy head at Lord Williams's School in Thame.

The new science block was named the David Jones block and opened by Oxford University chemistry head Prof Steve Davis.

The new design and technology building was officially named the Tony Matthews Building after the school governor who had done so much to ensure that work on the new premises was carried out and finished on time.

A crab apple tree was planted to mark the occasion.

The current headteacher, Dr Stephen Bizley, who took over from Mr Jones last September, said he was very excited about the event.

About the naming of the new blocks, he said: "Both men played a key role in getting the new buildings for the school and it is right that they are named after them."

"The students are very impressed."