Brookvale Primary 50th birthday party – More than 450 guests partied in the sunshine, riding on vintage fairground attractions, petting adorable animals and enjoying delicious food as they celebrated.
The afternoon event, on Friday July 7th, had been months in the planning at the Erdington primary – which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) – and followed a magical concert on June 30th.
Headteacher Stuart Day said: “We knew we wanted the 50th Birthday to be a special moment in the history of the school, so started work planning this at the beginning of the academic year.
“Thankfully, I have the incredible support of our dedicated Parents, Teachers and Families Association and staff, and together we started to draft a vision for what the end of year events could look like, including the 50th concert, which saw us celebrate 50 years of Brookvale with 50 years of music in the week before our birthday blowout.”
At the party, children and guests could enjoy rides on a beautiful hand-cranked carousel dating back to 1901; a set of Victorian seaside swing boats and a mini 1950’s waltzer – or futuristic ‘UFO’ bumper cars.
An animal petting zoo also visited, allowing youngster to meet rabbits, goats and alpacas.
Fundraising by the school’s dedicated PTFAs across the year funded all the catering, including ice-creams, drinks, crisps and cake, while The ATLP arranged for hot dogs to be served too.
Residents of nearby Orchard and Waterford Court retirement homes were also special guests at the event, and even donated £100 to the school.
Brookvale Primary 50th birthday event includes look at school’s history
To mark the historic occasion, visitors also got a glimpse of Brookvale over the decades, after a search unearthed a remarkable treasure trove of life at the school, which staff turned into a colourful display.
Brookvale Primary 50th birthday
Mr Day explained: “When rummaging around the archive room this year, Mrs Baizon found a dust-covered box with the words ‘Destroy:NEVER’ written on the side.
“What was in that box turned out to be a history treasure trove – photos, newspaper articles, Governors’ minutes and children’s work from the 1970s to the 1990s.
“We spent an afternoon in awe looking through the history of the school in photos from Christmas performances, newspaper articles about special visitors and learning about what had been taught in the past.
“What was most incredible is that the box contained a ‘Log Book’ from the first ever Headteacher of Brookvale Primary School, Ann Dudley, who opened the school with three children in the infant class and eight children in the junior class. The book details the school’s history all the way up until 1984.
“I spent many an evenings reading through this incredible record and, on occasions found it quite moving to read about the lengths the previous headteachers and staff had gone to, to ensure the very best for the children.
“It appears there is a long history of championing and fighting for the children and families of Brookvale, something we, as a staff continue to do.
“I’d like to thank our teaching assistants for photocopying and backing the photographs and record and putting together the incredible display for our community to see.”
The school is now in the process of digitising everything found in the mystery box to ensure these memories are never lost.
Mr Day added: “Although the past two weeks have been very busy, in terms of organisation, the joy that our concert and birthday party brought the children and families proved it was all worth it. I hope we created a special moment in the history of the school that children will remember long after they leave Brookvale.
“What an honour it is to be the Headteacher of Brookvale in its 50th year. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this very special community and all that we have achieved in the past four years, together. I am incredibly grateful for the continued support from our children and families and am lucky to work with a team that places the community at the core of our work.
“It was important that this event was not like any other events we had had in the past; it needed to be an event that highlighted the 50 years that the school has been at the heart of the community, how the school has changed through time but most importantly, who we are as a community now.”