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Celebration planned for 120 years of Dashwood school
25/01/2022
Current pupils at Dashwood Banbury Academy are undertaking a number of projects related to the anniversary
A Banbury primary school is preparing to celebrate its 120th anniversary this March. Dashwood School first opened its doors in 1902 and is one of the oldest primary schools in the area.
Having moved from its original site on Dashwood Road to a new home in Merton Street back in 2008, the school is now known as Dashwood Banbury Academy.
To mark the 120th anniversary a reunion party for past and present pupils, teachers and principals has been planned. The ticketed event on March 23 will feature activity rooms and a range of displays, including art, dance and photographs, all with the aim of taking guests on a trip down memory lane. Money raised by the event will go to school funds.
Current pupils at Dashwood Banbury Academy are undertaking a number of projects related to the anniversary. Ex-students will be returning to tell the class of 2022 about their careers and pieces of work will be created by current students to display at the reunion celebration.
A number of past Principals will also be visiting the school and youngsters will also learn about a day in the life of a child in 1902, as they dress up in the clothes of the time and experience lessons taught as they used to be.
The school is keen to hear from anyone who has an association with Dashwood Primary and is looking for old photographs of school life, sporting medals, report cards or other memorabilia which can be used to put together displays.
Amy Rogers is the Principal of Dashwood Banbury Academy. She said: “120 years of anything is impressive! It’s incredible to know that generations of families in the town have sent their children to Dashwood and there is a great deal of affection for the school in Banbury.
“The school spanned the whole of the 20th century on one site at Dashwood Road before moving in 2008 to its current home.
“The reunion celebration is a chance for people to come together and share their special memories of the school.
“School is a place where everyone works together and plays together and it’s a great way for a community to be built and Dashwood still provides that purpose.
“Not all schools have a long past and it’s a privilege to be able to celebrate 120 years.”
Dashwood School’s foundation stones were laid on 12 November 1901. It officially opened on September 9, 1902 catering for children up to 11 which at the time was the school leaving age. There was a tea party in the afternoon for the new pupils and lessons did not begin until the following day.
Built on Dashwood Road, the Gothic-inspired school building, with its distinctive decorative gables, was built of local wire-cut stock bricks with Bath Stone dressings.
Anyone with school memorabilia or recollections of their time at the school should get in contact by emailing office@dashwood-aspirations.org.
You can listen to our interview with Principal Amy Rogers here:
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
george christopher houghton On 26/01/2022 at 5:17 pm
i won the fancy dress i was dressed up as theodore lamb a local man of the road who never settled any where cant remember what year but late 60
Edmund Cramp On 22/12/2022 at 3:50 pm
I had a wonderful time at the school starting in the mid 50’s, there was an organized school trip for me about 9 years old to Norway at the end of one term – that was wonderful! I have so many great memories of Dashwood Road, one great factor was that it was close to the Banbury library so I could attend school and then swap books at the library all the time.