FIFTY years ago, two brave schoolmasters decided to buy a beautiful old house set in the breathtaking Shropshire countryside with the idea of turning it into a boys’ prep school. In January 1964 the school doors opened with only nine boys and for the first term there were more staff than pupils.

Today, the dream of Derek Henderson and Hugh Watts, the founding headmasters of Moor Park, is a reality and an extremely happy and successful one at that. Although the school is rather larger (250 children) than in those early days, the ethos has not changed; it is a happy school where the children are treated as individuals and are encouraged to work and play hard.

To celebrate 50 wonderful years of Moor Park, the school is holding a variety of events, including an anniversary day which was held in January, where all the children took part in workshops relating to 50 years of Moor Park, and culminating in a May ball for both current and past parents, old boys and girls.

Jonathan Bartlett, headmaster, said “I am so proud to be leading this wonderful school in its 50th anniversary year. Although Moor Park has evolved over the years, the core values of setting high standards for the children to aspire to while creating a caring and nurturing environment that Henderson and Watts envisioned is very much still in evidence.”