The Juniors were delighted and surprised when returning from the Half Term break to discover that their two Almshouse Day Rooms had been refurbished. The rooms have been completely redecorated and refurnished with colourful orange and grey sofas and chairs. New storage cupboards have also been fitted, much to Miss Bancroft’s delight. The general feeling among the children is that ‘they are really cool!’.

The Juniors are really looking forward to their Christmas ‘Jingle Bell Bop’ and the turning on of their Christmas lights in these rooms next Friday. ‘We just can’t wait!’ is the sentiment being expressed.

The Almshouses are the oldest buildings in the School, having been built on the instructions of William Lambe way back in the sixteenth century. They housed six of the poorest families in the village in six one-up, one-down dwellings. They were replaced by the six ‘new’ Almshouses which were built in 1888 and which stand next to the village green. In the 1950s, they were used as the School’s examination hall after which they became the History Department, before it moved back up to Centre Block about fifteen years ago.