Alnwick school renamed after famous medieval knight Harry Hotspur
An Alnwick school has been renamed after one of the town’s most famous sons.
Harry Hotspur CE Primary School is the new name for what was previously St Michael’s.
Head teacher Gavin Johnston said: “We’ve rebranded from the start of the new term and the new name has gone down really well.”
Harry Hotspur, an ancestor of the present Duke of Northumberland, was the nickname of Sir Henry Percy, an English knight who fought in several campaigns against the Scots and against the French during the Hundred Years' War in the late 14th and early 15th century.
“A former Duke of Northumberland was key in the creation of the school in the 1800s and we’ve now re-established those links with Alnwick Castle,” explained Mr Johnston.
The present Duke of Northumberland has provided free uniforms with the new school logo for all pupils and will attend an official rebranding event on October 16.
“We’re still a Church of England school and will still be working closely with St Michael’s,” added Mr Johnston.
Meanwhile, the school has achieved the School Games Gold Level Mark Award for 2023/24.
The Government-led school, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust, rewards schools for their commitment to the development of competition across the school and the community.
“We’re extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible,” said Mr Johnston.
Special thanks were given to Tom Vickers, Paul Yeadon, Haydn Marklew, Michael Kirkup and Owen Robson.