Thorpe Hall School has officially launched its Centenary year celebrations with a sold-out Golf Day social on Friday 20th September.
The event, which welcomed 240 guests, was the first in a series of special activities planned to mark the 100 year milestone. Held at the picturesque Thorpe Hall Golf Club, the day brought together parents, staff, students, alumni and the wider Southend community for a jam-packed day of golf, food and celebrations for all ages, which concluded with a BBQ for all to enjoy. The event raised an impressive £2,800 towards a £100,000 target dedicated to a playground legacy project to commemorate the momentous year.
Thorpe Hall School, which boasts celebrity alumni including Rachel Riley (Countdown), Sam Strike (Eastenders) and James Bourne (Busted), was founded at the request of Thorpe Bay residents in 1925, opening its doors with a cohort of just six boys under the headship of the Rev. E de Russet. The school was originally for boys only, aged 6-14. By 1940, the then headmaster, Mr. A.C. Lewis, had increased the leaving age to 16, and taken the “radical” step of admitting female students. The school moved to its current 11-acre site on Wakering Road in 1989. This allowed for an expansion of new facilities, including a fully-equipped 250-seat theatre, dedicated studios for Food, Textiles, Music, Art, Dance and D&T, a forest area, and a 5-acre sports and recreation field. In 2018, the school undertook the ambitious project of building a £2.4m sports centre – the Seaglass – which was opened by British Gymnastics gold medallist Max Whitlock. As the school celebrates its 100th birthday, it is now recognised as the biggest, and fastest growing, independent school in the Southend area. The school community has never been bigger, and the school will be bringing its families – past and present – together for plenty more celebrations as the year progresses.
Headteacher, Stephen Duckitt, said of the day: “It was heart-warming to see so many Thorpe Hall families from different times in the school’s history come together in such a supportive way. A great way to kick off a memorable year for our school”.