We shall be celebrating our 150th anniversary during the 2021/22 academic year.
This year promises to be a very special year for our school, as we hope to bring together the various generations of staff, pupils and parents who make up our community at St Joseph’s.
Pope Francis recently declared 2021 to be the year of St Joseph, adding further importance to these celebrations.
St Joseph’s was founded in 1872, initially as a school for boys (later expanded to include girls) in the home of Bishop Vesque, who was then chaplain of the convent and orphanage that would later become Virgo Fidelis School.
In 1958, a new two-form mixed entry (girls and boys) junior school was completed on the site of Bishop Vesque’s old home. Between 1972-74, separate infants and junior schools were built on the site. These buildings are what makes up the majority of St Joseph’s today.
In 2011, the two schools combined (or federated), under one Governing Board and one Headteacher.
Today, we are proud to be an outstanding and inclusive school, whose pupils, parents and staff reflect the many cultures and languages of the community which we serve.
Please see below the current list of events to mark this very special year.
| Date | Event | Details | Attendees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 September 2021 | Official launch of the anniversary year | Whole school assembly | All welcome |
| 4 November 2021 | Bonfire night | Infant school playing field | All welcome |
| Early December 2021 | Planting of anniversary oak tree | Infant school playground | All welcome |
| Mid December 2021 | Christmas Fair | Whole school | All welcome |
| 28 April 2022 | Mass by the Archbishop | Virgo Fidelis parish 11am |
Selected guests |
| Spring Term 2022 | Drop-in days | Visit to the school and class reunions | Separate events representing different eras of the school history |
| June 2022 | Summer Fair | Whole school celebration | All welcome |
| All year round | Guest speakers | Visits from inspirational alumni | Selected guests |
As the events are completed, we shall be posting pictures of each on this page. There will also be a range of memorabilia available to purchase from the school.
Please refer back to this page regularly for any updates.
We look forward to welcoming you back to our (and your) school for our 150th celebrations!
Click here for our alumni page
* About the photograph above: This is a picture courtesy of the Imperial War Museum’s collections from 1943, featuring Miss Capel and her class during a geography lesson.