The recent death of headmistress Winifred Laws reminded us of the important role Milham Ford School played in education in Oxford for more than a century.

Miss Laws, who died in St John’s Care Home in St Mary’s Road, aged 102, led the all-girls’ school in Marston Road from 1966 to 1978.

She memorably appeared in the Oxford Mail in 1973 when, amid great enthusiasm, she launched the school’s new minibus.

We’re not sure what she was pouring over the vehicle in Picture 1.

But there was clearly great excitement as the 15-seater, bought for £1.628 after a six-month fundraising campaign by pupils, staff and parents, took to the road.

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Numerous events were organised, including a mile-long swim, a table tennis marathon and a nine-hour sponsored silence.

Some girls ‘sold themselves into slavery for a day’ at an auction organised by staff.

Picture 2 was taken during a St David’s Day celebration at the school in 1977. Welsh-born teacher Pat Jordan was missing the Eisteddfod, so she helped four pupils to organise their own.

An annual drama festival was expanded to include Welsh dance routines, musical performances and poetry recitals.

Pupils in Picture 3 had taken part in a disco dance and were presenting the proceeds, a cheque for £155, to Marcus Thompson, from Oxfam, for refugees in Kampuchea in 1976.

Sharon Richard is seen handing the cheque to Mr Thompson, while other girls from the school examine the type of supplies the money would buy.

The school was also generous to good causes nearer home. Picture 4 shows a group handing food from their harvest festival in 1976 to Cowley Road Hospital.

Jeannette Tolley, centre, is seen receiving the produce from Deirdre Mann, left, head of the school’s third year, and pupils Esther Tremoglio, Margaret Greenfield and Tracy Boodell.

The school had collected so much that year that other gifts were given to Marston Court old people’s home and 20 elderly people living in the Marston area.

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Picture 5 shows girls taking part in a litter blitz in 1994 – back row, left to right, Zoe Green, 13, Alison Cook, 14, and Zoe Long, 14, and front, Sarah Wilson, 14, Emma Dillon, 13, and Tricia Cross, 14.

The school celebrated the Millennium with a picnic.

Leah Cox, Emily Goodwin, Rachel Parrott and Bernadette Gaughan in Picture 6 invited everyone to enjoy a slice of delicious cake.

Milham Ford School can trace its roots to a fee-paying nursery begun by sisters Emma and Jane Moody.

The sisters launched the school from the drawing room of their home in Iffley Road in about 1893.

It later moved to Cowley Place, on the banks of the River Cherwell below Magdalen Bridge.

It took its name from a nearby ford.

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New buildings off Marston Road were completed in 1938 and officially opened by Princess Alice in 1939. The school closed after 110 years in 2003 and the buildings became part of Oxford Brookes University.

The following year the buildings started to be used by the university’s School of Health Care and Social Science. In 2006 part of the site was sold for housing and new streets were named Mary Price Close and McCabe Place in memory of former headmistresses.