To commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we were delighted to welcome residents from two local care homes – Deewater Grange and Grosvenor Manor – for a traditional afternoon tea.

The gathering, held in our Refectory, was a wonderful opportunity to bring together different generations in a celebration of peace, remembrance and community.

Our guests enjoyed a spread of freshly baked treats, thoughtfully prepared by our catering partners, Chartwells.

A highlight of the afternoon was when our Year 9 pupils had the chance to chat with residents who shared their memories of the war years. These weren’t stories from the pages of a textbook – they were real, personal recollections of rationing, blackouts, and the relief and joy that VE Day brought.

The power of these conversations was clear. As one member of staff from Deewater Grange told us:

“Thank you so much for your kind invitation to attend your VE Day afternoon tea with our residents yesterday – it was a brilliant afternoon and our residents loved it! We find that some of them can become a bit reticent to talk, but with the interest from your students, they really opened up and didn’t stop chatting when they came back to Deewater Grange. We were all treated exceptionally well and they’re already looking forward to seeing you all again soon.”

It was a privilege for our students to hear these first-hand stories, and to mark this important anniversary together.