ST Bede Primary School marked 100 years of educating Winchester ’s children on Friday (September 14).

Around 1,000 people, including 390 pupils, attended its centenary celebration at Winchester Cathedral .

Pupils and staff, past and present, were joined by parents and well-wishers as The Reverend Canon Michael St John-Channell welcomed them to the great church.

Music during the service for the Church of England primary school came from the Winchester Youth Orchestra.

The ceremony opened and closed with children and staff singing the school song, We Are the Children of St Bede. The song was written as a goodbye gift from former head teacher, Brian Milloy.

Speaking after the service, Mr Milloy said: “I would not have missed it for the world. It was so lovely being back and wonderful to meet old friends.”

Alison Royall, a parent governor, has two sons, Eden and Jude, at St Bede. Mrs Royall said: “It went very well indeed. It’s been lovely and it’s been wonderful to see everyone here together like this.”

Louise Wilson, 40, of Hyde, who has a four-year-old son, James, in reception class said: “It was fantastic. Being new to the school, it’s lovely to know that we’ll be part of a family like this.”

Project manager for the centenary celebrations was school governor, Madeleine Smith. Ms Smith said: “It’s so important to mark this occasion. It’s the 100th year and we shall all be very tearful as we sing the school song.”

As part of the centenary celebrations, St Bede has produced a colourful, 128-page book outlining the history of the school from 1912 to 2012. It opened as Danemark and became St Bede in 1966.

l The school will hold a small exhibition and open morning on Saturday, September 29, from 10am-2.30pm.

Past pupils of St Bede and Danemark schools are invited to visit the exhibition, add to the memory book, have a brief tour of the school and view a slideshow of the collection of photographs of school life gathered for the centenary project.

An extension to the school to accommodate growing numbers of pupils is due to be officially opened on September 27 when a time capsule will be buried (not to be opened for another 100 years).

For more photos see this week's Hampshire Chronicle out now.