Sutton Girls Grammar School marked its 90th birthday in a memorable way – when more than 1,000 dedicated Sutton Coldfield schoolgirls used their heads by donning party hats to break an unusual world record.
Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls celebrated its 90th birthday in style on Wednesday, January 30, with an attempt at setting a new record for the most party hats worn in one place.
More than 1,100 girls at the school in Jockey Road donned conical-shaped party hats in the school’s sports hall for the record-breaking feat, to beat the previous figure of 815.
Michelle Lucas, assistant headteacher in charge of character development, has been planning the event for months in the run-up to 90th anniversary of Sutton Girls Grammar School, from the exact shape of hats required to the meticulous system for counting the number of pupils involved.
“It went very well and the students really enjoyed it,” she said. “There was a great atmosphere in the school all day, and it was electric in the sports hall as it filled up with students.
“It seemed like such a simple idea when we first came up with it in September, but it was only today that we realised just how big it was!”
The record-breaking attempt was a huge undertaking. Dozens of volunteers from the community helped steward the massive event, leading pupils into the sports hall in groups of 50 and seating them in specially marked-out zones.
Each student was given a hat and an individually-numbered wristband to ensure the official count was accurate.
The record-breaking feat was filmed from different angles and photographed throughout to provide evidence for World Record officials from Guinness, while two independent adjudicators – Wylde Green councillor Alex Yip and motivational speaker Errol Lawson of Emerge Leadership UK – oversaw proceedings.
The eventual number of children and staff wearing hats reached 1,161 – smashing the previous record. Now the school must wait for Guinness World Records to verify the result.
“Hopefully we’ve met all the rules, and we’ve provided all the evidence needed. As it stands – fingers crossed – we’ve broken the record,” Mrs Lucas said.
The big party hat record wasn’t the only event to mark Sutton Girls Grammar School birthday.
Each child was asked to write an inspirational message in a specially-designed birthday card. The keepsake cards were then randomly given out to all the pupils within their year groups, along with cakes.
Parent Dani Hemming even baked a cake which boasted the school’s motto: “not for our own advantage, but for the common good.”
Mrs Lucas said the community had come together to ensure the big day went smoothly.
“The volunteers were fantastic – we just put a call out to say can anybody come in the help the school, and we had former members of staff, ex-students, friends of the school, the PTA, all kinds of people come forward to help. It was a great response,” she said.
“I’d also like to thank the headteacher, Dr Barbara Minards, for backing the idea – it was just something I dreamt up months ago but she got right behind it from the start.”
Dr Minards added: “Events such as these provide memorable experiences for students that go beyond the academic education on offer at Sutton Girls. The world record attempt was about daring to do something different, being part of a team and having fun. It was fantastic to see the whole school community come together in a celebration of our 90th birthday.”
The school first opened its doors in 1929, when it was called Sutton Coldfield High School. It became Sutton Coldfield Girls School in 1962, and then Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls in the late 1990s.
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