A Penrith school is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, having opened its doors in 1972, and is urging the community to get involved and share memories.
North Lakes School, in Huntley Avenue, reached the anniversary at the start of this term and is planning to fundraise for a new school library to mark the milestone.
Originally called Wetheriggs Junior School, it cost £81,429 and took 15 months to build. Although having been remodelled significantly since, the open-plan style was considered highly modern at the time.
Headteacher Mike Pincombe, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone. We are proud of the young people who have learned and grown at our school and the way that North Lakes has served the Penrith community over the past five decades.
“The school has a reputation for friendliness and inclusion, with an exciting curriculum, and we have a strong tradition in many areas, including sport and music.
“We look forward to seeing the school develop in future years, and we will continue to work closely with our families and our colleagues at Brunswick School, as well as all our neighbours in the Penrith Hub of primary schools.
“We are sorry that due to COVID-19 restrictions, this term will not be a good time to mark our anniversary. However, we are looking forward to a whole school 50th celebration, hopefully in the summer term, with more details nearer the time.”
In the meantime, the school is asking for those with memories, comments or photographs to send them to nls50@northlakes.cumbria.sch.uk
Submissions will be used in a display and celebration event in the summer.
One of the first teachers, Nora Askins, still lives in Penrith and remembers the early days of the school.
She said many of the teachers were given a three line whip to join the new school and found it hard work at first with pupils struggling to adjust to the new open-plan style classroom.
That said, she remembered the youngsters and her colleagues fondly, having made great memories during her time there.
Pupils and teachers initially came from the County Girls’ School in Brunswick Road, but boys were soon integrated into the school.
