Crewe Primary School is 120 years old and over the last 12 decades it has solidified its reputation as a school of great repute amid the shrinking number of available schools for the fast-growing suburb of Amalinda.
Crewe, formerly known as Amalinda Primary school, started in 1904 with only 41 learners who rode to school on horseback or bicycles. In the decades since, the school has grown to include over a thousand pupils with well-maintained classrooms, extramural activities, and dedicated staff.
To celebrate 120 years, the school held a Founders Day celebration on August 23 and were joined by past teachers and learners with some from as far back as the 80s.
Recently retired Crewe principal, Linda Armstrong spent 43 years at the school and believes it is important for staff and learners to honour the strides made by previous generations.
Armstrong said: “It was an honor to be alongside the school legends at the celebration’s day and for us as previous educators to reflect on the huge impact we have made in the lives of our former learners and fellow staff members.
“Celebrating such an important day in the history of Crewe Primary School, reminds the learners how important it is to acknowledge the efforts of previous generations and work hard to continue to make Crewe the best school it can be.
“One of the challenges Crewe Primary faces is not having enough space to fit more learners into the classes at the school which is needed as Amalinda is a fast-growing suburb.
“The wonderful memories of the last 120 years at Crewe will long be remembered by all who have spent years at the school.
Crewe primary was originally built by the farmers in Amalinda who dreamed of being able to give their children an education.
This dream culminated in the establishment of a little wood and iron building in 1904. The school was run by Ms Langfield.
It was founded so long ago that modes of transport included horseback and bicycles which saw learners and teachers checking on their horses at break on the fields, and there were no other buildings here — no grade R, no swimming pool, no beautiful Crewe Primary school building, just open fields.
In 1911, the school governing body started to build a new school building with eight classrooms, a tiny office, a stockroom and a small staffroom. In 1912 the learners and teachers sold vegetables that they grew on the hockey field to raise funds for the school and the only extra mural available at the school for many years was soccer for the senior boys.
In 1973, after additional developments in the intervening years that resemble the present day school building, the school grew to accommodate 130 pupils and was named after Sir Charles Crewe who was the principal at the time.
