Former Northampton Girls’ Grammar School students return for special afternoon tea at Bosworth Independent School

Twenty former pupils, who attended the school in the late 1950s, returned to revisit the classrooms and corridors where they once studied. The visit provided an opportunity to share stories, reconnect with old friends and reflect on their time at the school more than sixty years ago.

The reunion was filled with nostalgia, laughter and shared memories of school life during that era, including daily assemblies in the hall, lessons across a wide range of subjects, and the traditional ringing of a handbell to signal the end of each lesson.

Gill Ager, one of the former students who helped organise the visit, said the group had a wonderful time returning to their old school.

The group has maintained close friendships since their school days and have been meeting regularly since the mid-1970s.

“We used to go out two or three times a year for an evening meal,” Gill explained. “Now we are mostly retired we meet at lunchtime. Emails and photos are shared around the country and even to people in Europe and Australia – although sadly a number of our year are no longer with us.”

Most of the group began their studies at Northampton School for Girls in 1958, gaining entry through the 11+ exam. For many of them, it was an exciting milestone.

“We all felt excited and privileged to be going to the grammar school,” Gill added. “We were a very mixed group from junior schools all over Northampton.”

During their visit, the women were able to see how the building has evolved while still retaining many familiar features.

“The school building is very much as we remember it,” Gill said. “We were always encouraged to look after it.”

The afternoon tea itself came about after a chance meeting between Gill and Bosworth Independent School’s Headmaster, Tony Oulton, during a visit to the school last year.

“I mentioned that our group regularly meets for lunch and that we were planning an afternoon tea,” Gill said. “Tony suggested we come back and hold it here and we were delighted to do so.”

Headmaster Tony Oulton said, “It was a real privilege to welcome these former pupils back to the Newton Building and hear their memories of school life here. The building has been part of the lives of generations of students, and it was wonderful to see it bring people together again after so many years. That they could recall the names of their teachers after such a distance of time was a powerful reminder of the lasting legacy teachers have on the lives of their students. Our current Head Students and prefects were delighted to take the ladies around the school and share stories about lessons and learning. It was a joy to hear about the many and varied careers this group of women had. We were proud to hear that they were so impressed with our students today and of how we keep the building which played such an important part in their early lives.”

Guests also had the opportunity to explore parts of the building and see how it has changed over time, including the redevelopment of areas that were once known by pupils as “the underground”.

Many of those attending said the visit brought back fond memories of their school days. One attendee commented: “So enjoyable and nostalgic – if only we could turn the clock back, I definitely would have made more of my time there.”

Another added: “Returning to the school was particularly moving. It stirred up so many good memories and felt almost unreal to be back there nearly 70 years since I first started.”

Bosworth Independent School was delighted to host the reunion and celebrate the Newton Building’s rich educational history. The building on St George’s Avenue which now belongs to Bosworth was originally built in 1915 as Northampton Girls’ Grammar, before becoming home to Kingsley Park Middle School and, later on again, one of the buildings which belonged to the University of Northampton.