A PRIMARY school celebrated its centenary by asking pupils to dress up in Edwardian costume.

St John’s County Primary School first opened as Wallingford Council Boys School on Tuesday, April 4, 1910.

This week pupils learned about the school’s history and how children’s lives have changed over the past 100 years.

Many of the clues to the past are contained in a century-old logbook, which records every detail of school life from its foundation until the 1980s.

Headteacher Jenny Forder said: “Back in 1910, there were 50 children in each class, where now we have 30.

“We know the school cost £2,256, 15 shillings and three pence to build, which makes me laugh.

“The logbook has comments about upcoming inspection reports, and problems with boilers. It just shows they had the same problems then as we do now.”

On Wednesday, the school’s 194 pupils wore 1910 outfits for a day of Edwardian-style lessons, including handwriting practice and cross-stitching.

The children also interviewed past pupils and teachers throughout the history-themed week.

Shannon Allen, 10, said: “Each class has focused on different years, seeing how the school changed at different times.”

Fernando Rodriguez, six, said he had learned about the 1960s, including the celebrations when England won the football World Cup in 1966, while Charlotte Satchwell, nine, found out about cookery and woodwork classes in the school’s early years.

All the pupils were presented with a commemorative coin and a copy of a new booklet about the school’s history.

The original school building, which is still in use today, was provided to educate boys aged seven to 14.

During the Second World War the school was used to teach evacuees from London, including future actress Sheila Hancock.

In 1958 it became a boys’ primary school, while girls arrived permanently in 1968.

On Monday, St John’s will host an open day from 11am to 5pm to let former pupils revisit their schooldays.

wallingford@oxfordmail.co.uk