CLASSES in Latin and Greek formed part of the celebrations marking 50 years of St Peter s School, in Huntingdon. About 300 former staff and pupils went back to visit on Wednesday to help mark its anniversary. The school was opened in 1957 as a secondary m

CLASSES in Latin and Greek formed part of the celebrations marking 50 years of St Peter's School, in Huntingdon.

About 300 former staff and pupils went back to visit on Wednesday to help mark its anniversary.

The school was opened in 1957 as a secondary modern in keeping with the Education Act of 1935. It was named after the road it stood in and kept its predecessor, Brookside, as an annexe.

Brookside had been a "British School" and its records go back to 1871.

When St Peter's opened, the children reported to the old buildings in Brookside. In the afternoon, they marched with their teachers to the new buildings, headed by the Godmanchester Town Band.

The school has had only four headteachers - W B Everett, the Rev George Thomas, David Furniss and Valerie Ford.

On Wednesday, teachers wore gowns and the pupils were given a taste of education in the 1950s.

History teacher Joanna Weston, teaching in the style of the 1950s, kept a ruler on her desk to ­administer discipline. "The pupils looked quite scared when they saw it," she said.

The history lesson was based on the monarchy and the British Empire. Miss Weston said: "We talked a lot about 'our empire' and 'our country'.

"Pupils were asked to recite the names of the Kings and Queens of England in order. We ended the lesson with a PowerPoint presentation with 1950s advertisements and music from Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers."

The 1950s PE lesson included star jumps and drama presentations included scenes from plays from throughout the decades with Look Back in Anger from the 1950s, The Caretaker and A Taste of Honey from the 1960s and 1970s, and Educating Rita and Billy Elliott from the 1980s and 1990s. A play called Chatroom represented the year 2000.

In the evening, there was a hog roast and music, with the evening closing to the band Slightly Chilled.