GREATWOOD Community Primary School, the first post war school in Skipton, marks its 50th anniversary today.

The school was officially opened on Saturday November 7 1953, even though it had been operative since August 24. Chairman of the West Riding education committee Alderman WM Hyman declared the school officially opened and ended his speech with the words: "I open this school in the spirit of peace."

In those 50 years there have only been four head teachers, with current incumbent John Collings the longest serving as he rapidly approaches his 17th anniversary as head.

Curiously, Mr Collings started the school on the same day as his youngest daughter, Emma. His elder daughter, Sarah, who was later to swim for England in the Commonwealth Games, was already at the school.

Despite the longevity of his time at the school, Mr Collings said that the school still feels new to him.

"It's just that sort of place - not one day is like another. Most people comment that the atmosphere is always really good. There's always something about it and that comes from the kids and the community. Despite the fact we have problems now and again like everybody," he said.

Nestled between Greatwood and Horse Close estate, the school is already very pro-community, although Mr Collings knows more can be done.

"I think it should be open more in the evenings for facilities to be used. I would ideally like to see more parents in the school and I would like to do more to let them know what's going on. We are into the days of a crowded curriculum. The whole business of education needs to be more of a family affair," he said.

Like the times, the school has had to change with it. The school's first inspection report (which said that the school was a very happy and industrious community, a common theme over the years) was two and a half sides long, a real contrast with the bulky file produced by Ofsted inspectors nowadays.

A nursery was opened in November 2001. Mr Collings explained that he became determined to have a nursery after he had one at his former school, Rossett Acre in Harrogate: "Six weeks into my job I was told they were going to close it. I tried to battle the closure but lost.

"When I came here I said at a governors' meeting that by the time I leave there will be a nursery here at Greatwood."

The school currently has no library as this space was given up for the IT area. However work should start soon on building a second storey to the main school hall to house this. Mr Collings is hoping this will also be used to serve families on the estate.

His goal to get the school a nursery achieved, Mr Collings, who has also been the head at Threshfield school, has switched his eagle eye to the playground.

By the time he says goodbye to the school, the playground will have seen a transformation he vows.

He was very disappointed when the school didn't get the funding to carry out the work, adding: "We were going to have basket ball and football areas, tennis courts, kick walls. My estimate is £10,000 to £15,000."

The school has seen dark times. As Mr Collings says, the saddest time for any school is when a pupil dies, but the exciting times far outnumber them.

Mr Collings said this is when a child excels themselves. Although he welcomes performance analysis in the sense that it shows the school what it's doing right and wrong, he said: "The fear is that kids are reduced to numbers on a sheet but I know those kids. There are children behind those numbers."

The school will be celebrating its anniversary for a week beginning on Monday November 17, culminating in a public open day on Friday 21. A street party will be held in the school yard with a traditional games day.

o The school's first head teacher was Thomas Arthur Rawson, who gave the school 16 years service. His replacement was George Middlemist, who was head of the school for five years.

In August 1974 the deputy head, Winifred Lowcock, took on the role of acting head until Jack Cross took up the reins. He was at the school 11 years and passed over to acting head teacher John Brown, who filled in until the current head teacher, John Collings, arrived on January 1 1987.