Our children didn’t always sit in classrooms learning maths, history, languages and all the other subjects on the curriculum.

Oxford Mail photographers were often invited to schools to take pictures of outdoor activities, as you can see here.

Picture 1 shows maypole dancing in progress at Islip, near Bicester, during Dr South’s School May celebrations in 1962.

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The May Queen, Jane Steele, led a procession of flower girls, train bearers and a maid of honour.

A crown of flowers was put on her head by the previous year’s Queen, 12-year-old Christine Johnson.

Apart from maypole dancing, the festivities included country dancing, games and a performance of a fairy tale, Peter and the Wolf, to a gramophone accompaniment.

After the festival, pupils attended a tea organised by villagers.

Maypole dancing in Picture 2 was one of the May Day highlights in 1985 for children at Charlton-on-Otmoor Primary School.

All 34 juniors took part in a parade from the school to St Mary’s Church, where a service was held before traditional dancing around the maypole.

Oxford Mail: Headmaster Peter Chivers said: “The children very much enjoy May Day. It is one of the highlights of the village year. Many older people can also remember taking part when they were young.”

The children from the village school at Bladon, near Woodstock, in Picture 3 are seen celebrating May Day by dancing in the car park of the White House pub in 1986.

They put on a show with children from the village playgroup which enchanted dozens of parents, friends and visitors.

It featured St George and the Dragon, Robin Hood and Maid Marion, the Lord and Queen of the May and an old Oxfordshire ritual, the Garland and the Lady.

The children, who made their own costumes and maypole, took part in a procession from the school around the village.

Headteacher Gwen Wratten said: “We’ve made something of a tradition of celebrating May Day and this year’s was a real treat to watch. It seemed like the whole of the village came out to watch us.”

Picture 4 shows morris dancers performing at the annual summer fete at Kings Meadow Primary School, Bicester, in 1989.

They were from the primary school in the nearby village of Chesterton, and danced with their headteacher, Andy Reading.

In Picture 5, we see maypole dancing at Tackley, near Bicester, on May Day in 1966.

We know little about Picture 6 - it is possibly a picture of the May Queen and her procession at Iffley in Oxford. Can anyone tell us more?

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.