If you attended Stalmine Primary School they are looking for old photos for their 150th anniversary

To mark the occasion, staff and pupils at the Mill Lane school dressed in Victorian costume for a special themed day on Monday, harking back to its earliest times in 1871.

They explored the old school log books, punishment books, black and white photographs, old school finances and old newspaper articles.

The children also learnt that the first Victorian teachers at Stalmine school were not very complimentary about their pupils!

Head teacher Hannah Binns said: "Luckily, we are much more positive today and couldn’t be any prouder of our students and what they have achieved, especially in this last two years.

"The older pupils have looked at newspaper reports from 1869 and 1870 with articles including details of the original meeting which took place at the Pack Horse Inn.

"Pupils discovered that the land on which school is stood was bequeathed by a local man, Mr Dickinson and that the school cost £1,000 to build.

"Each class spent the day following a typical Victorian timetable, focusing on the 3 Rs, alongside drill and rote learning."

The head added that Stalmine will continue to hold celebratory events throughout the year, and school is asking the wider community for any old photographs they may have to add to their collection.

These can be emailed to [email protected] or added to the Facebook page '150 Years of Stalmine School'.