Pupils and staff at a Watford primary school have today celebrated its 100th birthday.

Edward Mitchell Chater first opened the Chater Junior and Infant schools on March 2, 1909.

And today youngsters from the Infant school, in Southsea Avenue, toasted the occasion with a large cake bearing the school's emblem.

The Chater Schools were named after Edward in recognition of his work in the administration of elementary education in Watford.

He was born in Watford in 1838 and was the eldest son of Jonathon and Mary Chater.

Edward was a chemist and had a shop at 129 Lower High Street, which he ran with his brother Matthew Taylor Chater.

In February 1903, Edward was the chairman of the School Board and formally opened Victoria School, which was built in 1897 and was on the site that is now occupied by Chater Junior School.

Victoria School was previously known as Fearnly Street School, which took its name from an adjacent alleyway as Addiscombe Road had not yet been built.

When the Chater Schools opened six years later, they were made up of two separate buildings - one for the Junior children, who entered from Southsea Avenue, and the other for the Infant classes, who arrived via Harwoods Road.

To celebrate their centenary, the infants school will host a summer fair with an exhibition of old Chater Registers and photographs, on Saturday, June 20, from 1pm to 4pm.

To share your memories of attending either Chater Infant or Junior School, visit the Nostalgia section of this website to find out how to get in touch.