Former Urmston Grammar pupil wants to bring the ‘pride of lions’ home for centenary celebrations

Urmston Grammar School
Jo Daley, a former pupil at Urmston Grammar School

A former pupil at Urmston Grammar School wants to bring the ‘pride of lions’ back home by reuniting the school’s alumni.

Jo Daley, who was then known as Jo Stewart, has set up an alumni website dedicated to childhood memories from the school, which has a lion as its school symbol.

The 45-year-old, who is now the finance director at Urmston Grammar, and has been working at the school for 15 years, came up with the idea of reuniting past pupils as the school will be celebrating its centenary in September 2023.

More than 400 people have already registered on the new alumni website, to share Urmston memories and reconnect with old friends.

She said: “Our pride has been scattered all over the world, and we want to bring them home to celebrate the centenary and share what they are doing now and share childhood memories of the school.

“The new website is enabling us to get a strong collection of alumni stories.

Jo as a pupil at Urmston Grammar School
Jo as a pupil at Urmston Grammar School

“It is amazing to look at all the different paths that people have taken after leaving Urmston Grammar from TV production to medicine, and much more.”

Jo, who lives in Urmston with her husband Roger – also a former Urmston Grammar pupil – and her three daughters, started her Urmston journey in 1983 when it was still an all-girls school, which changed to co-educational in 1988.

She added: “The school had such a friendly atmosphere and still does to this day. I loved home economics, craft and design and history as a pupil.

“Miss Forrest was my favourite teacher – she was a history teacher and just amazing at bringing things to life, I also liked Mrs Hughes – who did art and design and you knew to show Mr Walley respect.

“When I first started working at the school – I found it strange to call some of the teachers that I had known as a pupil by their first names. But it really did feel like I had come home.

“I hope lots more people get in touch to share their stories and celebrate with us.”

Urmston Grammar will be having an alumni event on Saturday, April 29, from 12 noon, where there will be a photo show, an opportunity to look round the school and refreshments.

To register as a member, add your memories, photos and reconnect with people go to the school’s alumni website.

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