A KIDDERMINSTER primary school is opening its doors for a reunion of past pupils and staff as it celebrates a £1.8 million extension.

Staff and parents of St John’s CE Primary School, which dates back to 1969 on its current Blakebrook site, are looking forward to showing off the new classroom block on Saturday November 30.

The evening will include an exhibition of the school, tours, a photographic gallery, music, a bar and food.

An alumni Facebook group, set up to promote the reunion, has already attracted almost 200 members and organisers are hoping for a good turnout.

Past pupil and parent of a Year 5 pupil Verity Worthington, who is helping organise the reunion, said: “This will be a lovely opportunity for people to revisit their school and catch up with old friends.”

The school was originally split across three sites in the late 1800s, with the boys housed in St John’s Street, the girls in Brook Street and the infants in Hume Street. Eventually the boys and girls came together in a mixed junior school in Brook Street.

However, the building was considered inadequate for modern teaching and in 1969 the new junior school in Blakebrook opened, with the infants moving there in 1971.

The school changed from a first school to a primary when Wyre Forest changed from three-tier to two-tier education with the closure of the middle schools in 2007. It became a member of The Spire Church of England Learning Trust in 2018.

Tickets for the event, including a hot dog (or vegetarian alternative) are £7.50 and are available online at https://app.classlist.com/events/#/events/view/1188370706

Headteacher Suzanne Finlay said: “We are very proud of what we offer our children at St John’s, a school steeped in history and with close ties to our local church, and I’m sure our forefathers would admire what we do today.

“Our new extension will allow us to all be under the same roof for the first time since 2007 and we can’t wait to show it off. I hope plenty of past pupils and staff will be interested to see it, find out more about our current school and, of course, catch up with former classmates and colleagues.”