PTA secretary Caroline Shepherd on how a letter from Queen Camilla has helped the school celebrate its 100th birthday

Grange Park Prep School and (inset) Alice with the royal letter

This year marks the 100th birthday of Grange Park Preperatory School (GPPS).

GPPS was originally founded as Grange Park High for Girls in 1924 by two sisters, Mary and Louise Billings. They ran the school themselves for over 30 years.

In 1979, the school became known as Grange Park Preparatory School and even today the school still occupies the original site from when it was founded, on The Chine.

To celebrate the exciting milestone of our 100th birthday, the whole school is taking part in a spring concert. A medley of songs will be performed that represents the history of GPPS in the decades since 1924.

Readings will be given by year six pupils detailing the history of GPPS for each decade, from the 1920s to 2020s! Following the concert, the whole school is having a party with cake. Everyone is very excited.

One of the GPPS reception students – my daughter Alice, aged five – wrote to King Charles and Queen Camilla to tell them all about the birthday celebrations and we were delighted to receive a signed letter from the Queen in response!

Queen Camilla wrote: “Thank you very much for your lovely letter and the beautiful picture that you drew for me – you are a brilliant artist!

“I do hope that Grange Park Preparatory School will have a wonderful 100th birthday party!”

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