Two things that happen at this time of the year are celebrated by pupils of King Edward’s School.
Today is the end of the school term but it is always marked by Founder’s Day when – in a special annual service at Bath Abbey – the school celebrates its founding by King Edward the Sixth.
When Edward’s father, Henry the Eighth, dissolved Bath Priory it robbed the city of its original grammar school, which had been run by the monks.
Concerned about the lack of education available to their sons, the Mayor and citizens of Bath petitioned the new king to provide funds to set up a new school.
The young king Edward granted a charter in July 1552 `establishing ‘ a school for the instruction of boys and young men in grammar to continue forever.’
The school now, of course, is co-educational and looks after the education of girls too!
Pupils from the Junior School go over to the Guildhall – before the service – to be shown the original charter.
It’s safely kept by the Bath Record Office – while a replica is proudly carried up the church aisle to be part of the service of commemoration.
My husband, Darren Willison, happens to teach art at the school and was on ‘meet and greet’ duties, as parents, governors and other guests arrived this morning at Bath Abbey.
Good for the Bath school having a celebration of this. I went to King Edward’s in Birmingham which received its charter in January 1552 and we never had a charter day.