Pilgrims celebrate 25 years of excellence in Early Years education

The Pilgrims team were proud to mark a major milestone this year, celebrating our 25th anniversary with two special birthday parties for our current pupils and returning alumni.

We’ve come a long way since our school was built by the Harpur Trust in January 2000 – with thousands of children passing through our doors since then.

We opened with the mission to provide high quality education for children aged 5 to 7, before expansions saw us welcome children under 4 and then babies from three months old following the opening of Little Pilgrims in 2002.

Jo Webster, our Headteacher, said it was ‘wonderful’ to host the parties on our school grounds. 

“I have worked at Pilgrims for 23 years and have loved every moment,” she said. “It has been such a joy to celebrate with the children and catch up with former pupils to find out what they are up to now.

“The school was built by the Harpur Trust in recognition of the importance Early Years education plays in a child’s development.

“The majority of our children move on to one of the other Trust schools, with many of them joining their older siblings or following in their parents’ footsteps.

“It was really lovely to see the connection that still exists between us and our former pupils, even though they are all now grown up!”

Entertainment at the events included musicians from across the Harpur Trust schools – many of whom were former pupils – alongside speeches from alumni about their favourite Pilgrims’ memories.

A lot of these memories focused on our approach to learning, and how Pilgrims built their confidence with our enhanced curriculum, including Forest School sessions in our dedicated outdoor spaces, alongside our pond and gardening area.

That focus on outdoor learning and sustainability has seen us earn numerous awards, including an RHS Level 1 School Gardening Award and the Eco Schools Green Flag Award for 11 years running.

Those awards wouldn’t have been possible without our wonderful team of Eco Warriors, aged 4 to 6, whose amazing efforts include planting wildflowers for bees, fundraising for an animal sanctuary, hosting a Clean Air Day Assembly and litter picking across the school site. 

Jo added: “Our school is all about building self-esteem, confidence and encouraging the children to take on challenges alongside their learning.

“Our 25th year has been a wonderful opportunity for us to look back at what we have achieved and celebrate with the whole school community; both current and former.

“The school was really filled with joy for a very happy occasion.” 

To learn more about our varied curriculum and how your child could thrive at Pilgrims, visit our curriculum page. Or email admissions@pilgrims-school.org.uk to arrange a visit and tour of the school.