Former pupils have reunited with their PE teacher more than 50 years after they left school.

A reunion event for pupils who attended Witham Secondary School, now the Maltings Academy, saw the classmates get together for the special meet-up.

They were joined by English and physical training teacher Bill Rollings, now aged 92.

The group, who all attended the school between 1949 and 1960, enjoyed a meal and catch up at The New Times in Tiptree, where they reminisced about their time at the Spinks Lane school.

Brian Olley, 82, who organised the event, said: “It was wonderful. We had around 60 people come and a huge success.

“A classmate of mine, Eddie Jones, came from the south of France just to join us with his family.

“I left school in the December of 1950 aged 15, but it was the common thing to leave school then or around the age of 15 or 16.

“I became an engineer with an agricultural company, you went straight into work then, but it is interesting to meet up with former classmates and hear all about their lives.

“Some pupils got Marconi apprenticeships in Chelmsford, one former classmate set up his own high grade woodwork business, and another set up his own transport company.

“Everyone is enthusiastic about meeting up again, they went in as 11 year olds and left school at the age of 15. Now many are in their eighties.”

The first reunion was held in 2001 in the Witham Secondary School and a 60 year reunion was held in 2009.

Mr Rollings, who now lives in Felixstowe, joined the school in 1947 and left in 1960 after service as the head of two departments.

He married wife Una in 1948 and was a keen rugby player. Mr Olley said: “Bill, or Mr Rollings, as we used to call him, was very popular at school.

“He’s thrilled people came, he said it made him feel so welcome at our reunion.

"He said it made his day.”