A SCHOOL which takes its name from an author is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

Rudyard Kipling Primary and Nursery School in Woodingdean is celebrating reaching the milestone with a “birthday party” event on October 4.

Former pupils will be making their way to the grounds in Chalkland Rise to mark the occasion including some who attended the school when it first opened in 1959... 23 years after Rudyard Kipling’s death in 1936.

Children will be allowed to wear party clothes for the day and will be treated to a day of activities and party games, while the Parent Teacher and Friends Association plan to adorn the grounds with recycled party decorations, balloons and bunting.

This will include burying a time capsule and the unveiling of a large piece of art which all of the school’s pupils have worked together to create.

After school parents and people living in the area have been invited to join in the festivities, with hot dogs and ice cream on offer for all.

But it will not just be the parents, teachers and pupils who will be joining in the fun.

Organisers say the school’s two adorable dogs, Hugo and Buddy, will also be a big part of the celebrations.

The cavapoochons, whose mum is a cavachon (cavalier King Charles spaniel crossed with a bichon frise) and dad is a toy red poodle, joined in January last year and have become popular additions to the school.

Children can have their “golden time” with Hugo or Buddy, where they spend time with one of them and enjoy a walk with them around the garden of the school in Woodingdean.

And the pupils like the dogs so much they have written projects about them, including the Barking Newspaper, with a special feature on Buddy.

The writer after whom the school is named lived in the neighbouring village of Rottingdean between 1897 and 1902.

After moving to the area the Jungle Book author began renting a house called The Elms from a landlord called Mr Bliss for three guineas a week.

He described it as “small, none too well built, but cheap”.

While living here he published works including the poem, The White Man’s Burden and novel Stalky and Co, a book about adolescent boys at a British boarding school.