Pupils celebrate school's 150th birthday wearing Victorian clothes and burying time capsule

Parents gathered on the playing fields on Friday afternoon to watch the children on the school council plant a tree to represent the current generation of students.

The time capsule, which buried nearby, included letters pupils have written to future students, photographs of the school and classes, drawings and artwork, favourite things about the school and the hopes and dreams of the youngsters who attend this year.

Headteacher Jenny Hanks, dressed in a mortar board and cape, told parents and pupils at the ceremony: “It is a real privilege to stand here today and celebrate 150 years of Great Dalby School.

"From its beginnings as a small school serving just a handful of children from our local farming community, to the vibrant, thriving village school we see today with 140 pupils, Great Dalby has always been at the heart of this community.

“Across the years, much has changed, but what has remained constant is the spirit of the school.

"Our core values of caring, achieving and persevering continue to underpin everything we do today.

"These values are the reason our school has remained so special, so successful, and so well-loved.”

A school board was formed in Great Dalby in 1873 and a school house was built, along with a teacher’s residence, three years later thanks to a loan of just over £1,000.

Fees were 3d per week for farmers’ children, 2d for other pupils and it was free for bigger families.

The children were taught subjects including machine construction, drawing, magnetism, electricity, acoustics, heat and light, biology, and animal physiology.

The school was enlarged in 1894 to accommodate 80 children – it now has 136 pupils on roll.

Pupils on the school council also spoke at the celebration, taking turns to read out parts of a commemorative speech.

They said: “Today has been really special.

"We all dressed up in Victorian clothes and experienced what a day at school might have been like 150 years ago.

“Some of us found it quite strict, and we definitely decided that we are very lucky to be at school today… especially when it comes to school dinners – we are very glad we don’t have to eat what children had in Victorian times.

“We feel incredibly proud of our school.

"Great Dalby is such a special place, and it really feels like one big family.”

The children added: “To help celebrate this amazing milestone, we are planting a tree.

“We love the idea that we will be able to watch it grow as we grow.

“We hope that one day, when we are adults, we can come back, see the tree, and remember being part of this very special celebration.

"We are also really excited about burying our time capsule.

"It will be filled with messages and memories from pupils at Great Dalby today to children of the future.

"We think it will be so interesting for them to find out what our school is like now and what we enjoy doing.”

“We feel very lucky to be part of Great Dalby School at such an important time in its history, and we are so happy we could celebrate this big birthday together.”