AN historic primary school has received a series of plaques commemorating the dates its various buildings opened.

North Primary School and Nursery has installed the slate plaques after they were donated by Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell and his wife, Lady Audrey.

They are now fixed to the nursery, reception bungalows, class 1NW and the Year 6 block at the site in John Harper Street, Colchester.

Sir Bob said he is a “great believer” in having dates and names on buildings to mark their history.

Gazette: New addition - one of the plaques in place at the schoolNew addition - one of the plaques in place at the school (Image: Sir Bob Russell)

The former MP and his wife have been associated with the school since 1971 when their twin sons, then aged three, joined the nursery.

The schoolchildren were informed about the plaques when Sir Bob presented them during a special assembly before the half term holiday.

The school newsletter reads: “It has been a long-held ambition of Sir Bob to have plaques and we are very grateful to his and Lady Audrey’s generosity in enabling this to happen.”

North Primary School and Nursery opened as North Street School in 1894 and was the first of six schools built by the Colchester School Board.

Gazette: Plaque - Year 6 pupil Alex Lyubomirov with chairwoman of governors Jan Blackwell and Sir Bob RussellPlaque - Year 6 pupil Alex Lyubomirov with chairwoman of governors Jan Blackwell and Sir Bob Russell (Image: Newsquest)

During the past 100 years there have been five additions to the school and now the year plaques have been fitted to these buildings.

Sir Bob said: “Colchester has many historic buildings and I am a great believer for having dates and names on buildings.

“I just felt, and the school agreed, that a school which has evolved over 125 years would look nice if each building had the date when that particular addition was built.”

He explained his two daughters also attended the school, as have their two youngest grandchildren with the last one set to leave this summer.

The school benefitted from its first and largest expansion in 1938 when classrooms and a hall for the infants were built.

In 2004 a single classroom, dubbed “the bungalow”, was constructed, followed in 2012 with two separate classroom additions and a block for two Year 6 classes.