AN ABINGDON school has been celebrating 50 years of educating pupils this week with former staff and Students from across the country coming together.

The John Mason School held a special assembly with 40 former staff and pupils on Tuesday.

Students and teachers dressed up to represent different decades of the school’s life.

Headteacher Di Mashiter, said: “We felt like an enormous family.

“Having the visitors attend made us feel we were a part of something that has been beneficial to the school and the town.

“The celebrations have shown us doing what the school does best – bringing people together.”

She added: “It is a privilege to be headteacher of John Mason School. The students here are inspiring young people.”

The secondary school opened its doors to the first 69 students in September 1960. As a part of the birthday celebrations, current students interviewed former staff and pupils.

Former woodwork teacher Donald Matheson, 90, worked at the school from 1960 to 1982. He travelled from Inverness for the event.

He said: “We were like a family. It was such a small school, a grammar school, and the children were proud to be there.

“They respected the teachers and we respected them.

“The children wanted to learn, and coming from a rougher school, I was honoured at how polite and well behaved they were.

“You can only teach at a school, and a school can only run if it has good discipline.

“This is exactly what John Mason was like, it was almost too good to be true.”

The school also held a special 50th birthday summer fete on Saturday including food stalls, a carousel, and games such as a tug-of-war and an egg and spoon race.

Live music throughout the day was provided by school bands and there was an exhibition based on the school archives.

Deputy headteacher Sarah Brinkley said: “It was amazing. We had a huge turnout throughout the day.

“We had some of the first students from the 1960s. They really enjoyed sharing their memories and looking at the archives we had on display.

“The day was a true celebration of John Mason and embodied the spirit of community and pride that we have in our staff and students.”

The school was the first in Abingdon to provide a grammar school education for both boys and girls, and in 1963 it became the first in Britain to start teaching Chinese.

The school has also been running an annual trip to its farm in Wales for its Year Nine pupils since 1969.

The school was named after 16th-century intellectual, diplomat and spy Sir John Mason, whose picture can be found hanging in the school hall. He was born in the town and educated at Abingdon School.

Since 1973, John Mason has been a co-educational comprehensive school, which now specialises in the visual arts.

The school’s logo is that of a double-headed lion.