A teaching assistant at St Martin’s School, Bournemouth, was delighted to discover old school photos of her own children in the attic of the historic school, which celebrates its 110th anniversary in 2024.
Heather Davis, who has worked at St Martin’s in Stoke Wood Road for five years, was sorting through some archival photos which had been tucked away in the attic for decades when she came some across class photos of her own children, the eldest of whom started at the school 36 years prior.
The heartwarming find comes as the school, which has some 90 children on its roster, prepares to celebrate 110 years since its foundation in 1914.
Heather said:
“We found a big box of old photos, some going back over 50 years, when we were bringing the Christmas decorations down this year. It was perfect timing as we’re trying to gather materials for our school archive ahead of our 110th anniversary next year, so I spent a bit of time going through them to get them into date order – and spotted some very familiar faces among the old class photos!”
Heather’s three children were St Martin’s pupils between 1987 and 2009. The photos were a nostalgic reminder of their time there, and include a photos of Heather’s eldest Sean, now 40, with his classmates at the age of five, her daughter Stephanie, now 38, aged four and 24-year-old Matt, when he was six.
Added Heather:
“St Martin’s has been a special part of my life for many years now, first as a parent, and now as a member of staff – it’s a bit of a home from home for me.
“These photos took me right back to when my children were small – it was so lovely to discover them and share them with my colleagues and some of the children I work with now. It helped bring the history of the school to life for them.”
St Martin’s, a family-owned independent school for boys and girls aged four to 11, has been educating children at the same purpose-built school in Stoke Wood Road since 1914, maintaining many of its traditions, including ringing the old school bell, dating from 1942, at break times and at the end of the school day.
The school has been in the hands of the same family since 1976, when it was purchased by former headmaster Townley Shenton. His three children, Tim, Jane and Nicky, now share the proprietorship. All worked in the school themselves in the roles of headmaster, teacher and secretary and educated their own children there too.
Tim Shenton explained:
“This is a real milestone birthday for us, and we would love to share the celebrations with the Bournemouth community the school has been proud to serve for more than a century. We’re keen to hear from former pupils and teachers, and the many local families who enjoy a connection with the school.
“We invite them to get in touch over the coming months to share stories, photos and mementoes from their time at the school.”
The school is looking ahead to a bright future, with a new headteacher Mrs Kerri Male, formerly deputy headteacher, taking up the reins this academic year, overseeing investment in new digital technology, a revised curriculum, and a new school newsletter – The St Martin’s Messenger.
Mrs Male said:
“We are so proud of our history at St Martin’s School, and the traditional values of hard work, good manners and kindness which remain our foundation.
“We are a small school, with a big heart, and have remained so for 110 years; we look forward to many more decades providing the individualised teaching and nurturing family feel that we believe enables children to thrive.”
The school, which aptly calls itself “The Happy Family School”, prioritises wellbeing alongside academic rigour, including helping children achieve well in the 11+ exam; more than 75% of the Year 6 leavers last year gained places at either local grammar or independent schools.
Alumni and former teachers are invited to get in touch with marketing and admissions manager Juliette Astrup on email at [email protected]
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