STAFF pupils and parents are gearing up for a day of celebration tomorrow for the 50th birthday of Ashlands Primary School.

Ashlands school officially opened on July 18, 1953, with Alderman W M Hyman, of the West Yorkshire Education Committee

performing the ceremony.

Since then thousands of Ilkley children have received an education at the Leeds Road School and have fond memories of their time there.

The present head teacher Jenni McDonough told the Gazette that she wasn't born when the school first opened. but she has now been in her post for three years.

She said that children had been preparing for the celebration throughout the half-term and many parts of the curriculum were adapted to reflect the Golden Anniversary.

"The children have been interviewing members of staff who were at school in the 1950s and have been finding out what life was like then," said Mrs McDonough.

They have also been studying artifacts of the period in history classes and learning songs and dances for two concerts taking place tomorrow. An artist-in-residence has been teaching the children about artists and painters 50 years ago.

"The children have also been watching a video of the Queen's Coronation which happened in the same year," Mrs McDonough said.

All this week it has been open house at the school with former pupils and teachers dropping in to have a look at the new block which has been added to the school.

The milestone will give extra satisfaction to those in the town who fought hard five years ago against a Bradford Council plan to close the school altogether.

Under the change from a three to a two-tier education system in the district, it was suggested that Ashlands should close down and become the site of the new All Saints School.

The suggestion led to a long and vociferous protest from people in Ilkley. Staff, governors, parents and pupils took their protest to the steps of City Hall in Bradford while the matter was debated by councillors inside.

Eventually it was announced that education officials had changed their minds. The new All Saints was built on a site on Skipton Road and Ashlands changed from a first to a primary school after building work to accommodate 40 more pupils.

Parish Councillor Mike Lynes, who has been a governor at Ashlands for the last 12 years, said he would be joining the celebrations.

He said: "The fact that we have been asked to take in additional pupils in September makes it seem unbelievable that they wanted to close the school down five years ago."