Newbury school celebrates epic milestone

St Bart's marks 550 years

A Newbury school celebrated an epic milestone last week as it marked 550 years of serving the community.

St Bartholomew’s School was founded in 1466 on the will of Henry Wormestall and the school celebrated with a special birthday bash recently in recognition of the anniversary.

During the afternoon of June 6, 950 pupils gathered on the school field to form the shape of 550 for a specially- commissioned aerial photograph.

There were also games and activities in celebration and a fanfare arranged by sixth formers followed by a tree-planting ceremony.

The headteacher, Julia Mortimore, said: “St Bart’s has a rich history and many of the clues to our origins are evident around the school today.

“Our school logo, motto, uniform, traditions, buildings and house names all form part of our heritage.

“We are delighted that history teacher Mrs Val Pollitt has written a special issue of for July 6 which takes us on a journey through the school’s history.

“The clues to our history are deeply embedded into the values of St Bart’s today. We are proud that we can build on our past and thrive as an exceptional school in the modern world.”