A SCHOOL has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Mayflower High School, in Billericay, first opened on October 12, 1966.

As befits perhaps a school which bears the name of a ship, Mayflower High School had, in the words of its first headteacher, Mr Arnold Bickerstaff, "an adventurous if not pioneering career", its initial students having been taught first at Nicholas Secondary School in Laindon, then moved to the site now occupied by the Lower Basildon Academy, before being able to move to its permanent home in Billericay.

As the population of Billericay grew after the Second World War, from 27,454 in 1951 to 43,380 in 1961, plans were drawn up to open a second county secondary school in the town.

The first pupils to join the school did so in 1963, but attended Nicholas Secondary School in Laindon and were taught by teachers of that school.

In the words of Mr Bickerstaff, it was more difficult to engender “a corporate spirit in the prevailing circumstances.”

A further intake of 110 pupils occurred in September 1964, joined by the first teachers of the new school, destined for Billericay.

In January 1965, the whole school moved into the site now occupied by the Lower Basildon Academy.

The plans to move the school to its permanent home in Billericay had to be put on hold following a number hitches, with the harsh snowy winter in 1962-63, a fire and a lack of building materials and skilled craftsman all contributing to the delay.

The school buildings on Stock Road in Billericay itself were occupied for the first time in 1965, with a further 108 pupils.

The school was officially opened on 12 October 1966, providing accommodation for 600 pupils, with science laboratories, specialist rooms for housecraft, art and craft and needlework.

One of the workshops was equipped with an inspection pit for car maintenance.

At that time, the school boasted a horticultural unit, with a greenhouse and potting shed.

Mr Bickerstaff was the headteacher from the school’s founding right up to July 1983.

Of the people he appointed as members of staff at Mayflower, two remain: Judy Bryans, who joined the school the previous September, and Richard Maples, who was appointed in January 1983.

Judy, who is the head of religious studies and the most able coordinator, is 61 years old and comes from Southend.

Richard is 60 and is now head of humanities and lives in Chelmsford.

Judy remembers Mr Bickerstaff as being someone who “was respected by the students and staff alike”.

She describes him as having a ‘big’ personality with a loud, booming voice.

As Judy puts it, “you heard him before you saw him!”

That said, students were not scared of him, but certainly did not misbehave when he was around.

A celebration event was held on Wednesday, with students burying a time capsule among other events.