Pupils celebrate school's 75th anniversary (From This Is Local London)

Pupils celebrate school's 75th anniversary

4:43pm Tuesday 17th October 2006 in

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PUPILS of Rickmansworth PNEU followed in the footsteps of their school's founders on Tuesday to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

The school's year of celebrations started with a thanksgiving service at St Mary's Church in Church Street.

After the service, the girls and staff made a procession through Rickmansworth back to the school's site in The Drive.

The procession recreated the path taken by the school's first pupils in the autumn of 1931, when they walked to St Mary's for a service to celebrate the foundation of the school.

As part of the celebrations, the school's headmistress, Kate Callegari, and head of music, Nancy Coleman, composed a new song for the school. The PNEU Song had its first performance - by the whole school - at the special service.

Hymns were also sung and a talk on the history of the school was given to the pupils, who are all aged between three and 11.

Mrs Callegari said that the service was enjoyed by the whole school as well as parents and guardians of the pupils. She said: "Recreating our founders' footsteps was a wonderful way to celebrate our heritage and look forward to this anniversary year.

"The girls were very much looking forward to walking through Rickmansworth.

"It was quite a spectacle, as it's not every day that more than 100 girls make a procession through the town."

Founded in 1931 by local residents Winnie Kitching and Margaret Sterling, the school began with eight children, who all came from the local Rickmansworth and Watford areas.

While much has changed in 75 years, the school is still located on its original site, although. However it has been extended, improved and redeveloped in recent years to meet the needs of a modern school.