Ackworth Old Scholars reunite in Dubai

Feb 10, 2022 | Old Scholar

Back in November 2021, Ackworth Old Scholars came together for the first Old Scholar Reunion in the Middle East. There had been plans in place for this to happen sooner, however the pandemic have prevented the opportunity to connect face to face.

Old Scholars Saad Ansari and Julie Lewis attended the event. They were met by Ackworth School representative, Tom Shennan-Barker (Director of Marketing and Admissions)

Julie remembered her time at Ackworth School, “41 years ago, I graduated from Ackworth School and I was very proud to be Head Girl in my final year 1979 – 1980. I am absolutely delighted to be here in Dubai at the Ackworth Old Scholars reunion reminiscing of the joys and the pleasures, sometimes the challenges and the pain of being at a boarding school from 11 years young to 18 years old. I am super excited to go back in July 2022 for the Open Day”.

The Ackworth Old Scholar event in Dubai has been a great experience for OS to reconnect with the school, sharing fond memories. These AOS events are also an opportunity to forge new connections overseas.

Both Julie and Saad recounted their unique experiences of boarding life and how they differed, being over 20 years apart in their time at the school.

Tom Shennan-Barker said, “It was wonderful to connect with our Old Scholars in Dubai and enable them to connect with each other. We know that there are Old Scholars all around the world who are eager to rekindle connections with old classmates and forge new ones with other former pupils. These events are a great way to do just that.”

If you would like to come to our Ackworth Old Scholar events, visit our Ackworth Old Scholars events page! 

Josephine’s Journey into Ackworth’s Archives

Aug 16, 2021 | Old Scholar

On 21st July, we were treated to a visit to the school from Josephine Beaumont and her niece, Lorraine Simpson.

Josephine was a pupil at Ackworth from 1943 to 1946 and she had some fascinating insights into life at Ackworth during the war years.

 Josephine comes from a long line of Bowmans who have attended the school from its earliest days. The first of her ancestors to arrive in March 1780 were two sisters from Chesterfield, Alice and Sarah, aged 11 and 8. This was just five months after the school opened. They appear as numbers 84 and 85 in the first Admittance Book.

Josephine’s grandfather, John Edward Bowman (AOS 1879-1883) was a well-known Wakefield businessman, and Lorraine has prepared his diaries for publication at the end of the year. We look forward to seeing a finished copy of “The Diary of a Wakefield Draper” and reading about his days at Ackworth in the latter part of the 19th century. 

Visits like this constantly add to our knowledge of the history of the school and of the people who have passed through its doors. 

Would you like to return to Ackworth School for a visit? Or perhaps take a look at where one of your relatives attended? Please get in touch with us at alumni@ackworthschool.com to organise a visit.

A look inside a photo album from 1946 – Josephine’s final year at Ackworth. 

Josephine points herself out in her form group photo.

Click here to learn more about Ackworth’s Old Scholars and how you can get involved.