Pupils and teachers are celebrating the launch of their Billericay school's new identity which marks its bright future as a specialist school.

Mayflower High School has unveiled its new school badge which replaces the original design that has been in use for 40 years.

The Stock Road school achieved specialist science school status in the summer of 2003 and head teacher, Linda Bamford said the school was keen to recognise the achievement with a new image.

The crest incorporates a more modern-looking Mayflower ship - famous for carrying several Billericay inhabitants to the New World in 1621 who were fleeing religious persecution during the reign of Henry VIII.

The new-look badge is the brainchild of year 11 pupil, 15-year-old Ben Allison after all the school's 1,500 pupils were invited to submit ideas.

Mrs Bamford said: "The task the students were set was to design a new school logo that maintains our links with the traditions and heritage of the school and demonstrates our readiness to voyage onwards into the future as a specialist science college building on our past, looking forward to our future. Ben's design was felt by the judges to do just that."

Published Tuesday September 14, 2004

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