St Saviour's & St Olave's celebrates centenary

St. Saviour's & St. Olave's Girls' School celebrated 100 years on its present New Kent Road site on Friday 14 March. Over nine hundred past and present students, staff and governors gathered in Southwark Cathedral in the presence of Bishop Tom, the Dean and the Sub-Dean Andrew Nunn, a governor at the school.

Jeanette Ardley, Head of Religious Studies at the school, writes:

After a hearty rendition of 'Oh God our help in ages past' - adopted as the school hymn after it was sung at the opening service in 1903 - the congregation heard former students and teachers reminiscing about their experiences. Some students now teach at the school and were all adamant that it was well worth returning!

One former student, Mrs Eileen Gray, now in her eighties, was a great sportswoman, often the only woman on committees fighting for women's rights in Sport. She gained an OBE, a CBE and the Silver International Olympic Award. A current student, Melba Mwanje related how she feels privileged to have a school workload to complain about when over three quarters of the world's children do not even have an education.

The headteacher, Mrs Irene Bishop paid tribute to the whole school community, both past and present who have made the school what it is today: a caring community, promoting standards of excellence.

The choirs sang beautifully. The readers and the mimers portrayed the school through the ages in word and tableau.

A lively rendering of 'Siya Hamba' was accompanied by a great crowd of students marching and dancing round the cathedral 'in the light of God' and a hundred balloons were released at the end of the service, bearing the school crest ,and the school motto 'Heirs of the Past, Children of the Present , Makers of the Future'.

After the service, Mrs Bishop said: "I don't think anyone could fail to be moved by genuine warmth and affection for the school expressed by all those here today."

One former student summed it all up by saying at the end of the day: "It was a privilege to be a student at St. Saviour's and it has been a fantastic experience to celebrate one hundred years today".

Here's to the next hundred years!