OTTERBURN First School celebrated its 200th birthday last weekend with a historic display of photographs and memorabilia.

Over 70 pupils, old and new, attended the celebrations after a Facebook page spread the word.

Decades-old photos, timetables and other memorabilia were on display at the special celebration, which provided a timeline of the history of the school.

Attendees included Eddie Nicholson, a pupil in the 1950s, who travelled from Perth in Scotland, and headteachers from the 1960s and 70s.

Headteacher Tina Henderson said: “It was a fantastic afternoon; there were people who hadn’t seen each other for years.

“Seeing the older generation having a laugh after finding their parents in the punishment book was really fun.”

As well has the commemorative display, the school choir and current pupils sang songs from across the decades, including Hello , Goodbye and Mamma Mia.

The weekend of celebrations included the annual summer fair, where £1,600 was raised.

The photos and memorabilia, which have been safely stored in the school’s archives, will remain on display until the autumn.

The first mention of the school was found in a select committee for education document which dates back to 1818.

John Davidson, a land owner, began to build the school to serve the people of the Otterburn Hall estate.

Work was completed by his son, John, and consisted of two rooms with a garden annex. James Ferguson is the first recorded headmaster of the school, teaching there from 1832 to 1871.

In 1858, an all age voluntary school consisting of 50 children was opened in Otterburn by the Misses Davidson.

It was bought by Lord James Murray and renamed the Lady Murray Church of England School when the Murrays took over the Otterburn estate in 1870.

The school suffered devastating diptheria and scarlatina disease outbreaks in 1885 and 1891, where two children died.

A timetable from 1937 shows that pupils learnt scripture and arithmetic as well as nature study and needlework.

An old punishment book notes how many ‘strokes’ a pupil received for offences such as disobedience and insolence.

Due to nearby Byrness and Woodside schools closing, an extension was built at Otterburn in 1939 consisting of a hall, kitchen and one classroom, bringing the total to three classrooms altogether.

Today, Otterburn First School remains an important hub in the community it serves and is preparing to extend its age range to become a primary.

It currently attracts children from Byrness, Rochester, Elsdon and other outlying areas.