Rosedale Primary School celebrates 50 years of its junior school building

Rosedale Primary School has marked the 50th birthday of its junior school building with a special day of celebrations, bringing together pupils, staff, former pupils, past staff, families and members of the local community.

The milestone was celebrated on Tuesday 29 September, with activities taking place throughout the school day before the wider Rosedale community came together after school to reflect on five decades of memories.

Rosedale Primary School, part of Exceed Learning Partnership, marked the occasion with a range of activities celebrating the school’s history and the many generations of pupils and staff who have passed through its door. Each class created a collaborative piece of artwork to mark the occasion, with the finished pieces displayed around the school alongside work from former pupils and a collection of historic photographs showcasing staff, pupils and learning at Rosedale over the years. Pupils were also able to take a trip down memory lane through a video loop featuring images and footage showing what school life at Rosedale looked like in previous decades. The celebrations continued at lunchtime, when staff served pupils a special party lunch, before a very special guest returned to the school in the afternoon.

Mr Rob Hunter, Rosedale Primary School’s first headteacher, attended the celebrations and led a special assembly for pupils, sharing memories from his time at the school and helping pupils to connect with Rosedale’s history. After school, parents, pupils, community members, former staff and friends of the school gathered to celebrate the anniversary together. Among those attending were members of the original team from when Mr Hunter was headteacher, including former teachers, the school cook and the school secretary.

Emily Clark, Executive Principal, said:

“Rosedale has a proud history at the heart of its community, and this celebration was a wonderful opportunity to recognise the people and memories that have shaped the school over the past 50 years. It was particularly special to have Mr Hunter return and see generations of the Rosedale community come together.”

The gathering provided an opportunity for everyone to reminisce, share stories and celebrate the important role Rosedale Primary School has played in the local community over the years. A short speech was given to mark the occasion, before everyone joined together to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and Mr Hunter had the honour of cutting the special Rosedale 50th birthday cake. Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones also attended the celebration and spoke with parents and members of the community, helping to mark the significance of the milestone for Rosedale and the wider community.

The afternoon was rounded off with plenty of cake, cups of tea and the opportunity for old friends and new to come together.

Adela Denovan, Principal at Rosedale Primary School, said:

“It was wonderful to see our Rosedale community come together to celebrate such a special milestone and to welcome back so many familiar faces.”

The Junior School’s 50th birthday celebration provided a fitting opportunity to recognise the generations of pupils, staff and families who have helped make Rosedale Primary School the school it is today. As part of Exceed Learning Partnership, Rosedale Primary School continues to look ahead to the future while celebrating the strong foundations, relationships and sense of community that have been built over the past 50 years.