Henrietta Barnett School celebrated its centenary in style as 2,000 people attended a service in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Students, staff, parents, governors, ex-staff, and former pupils attended the ceremony at the cathedral, which featured Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, giving a sermon on the importance of education.

Former pupil Caroline Anstey, managing director of the World Bank, had flown in from the US to give a speech. The service also featured a talk by the current head girl, who spoke about the Henrietta Barnett’s vision for the future.

Attendees were also treated to a foray into the school’s past. The service featured hymns which were part of the school’s history, including Praise My Soul.

Headteacher Oliver Blond said: “We were going through the years and the different traditions that were part of the school.”

The service also gave a nod to the different nationalities at the school, as pupils gave readings in 10 different languages.

Mr Blond, said: “This was a fantastic event with the whole of Henrietta Barnett School coming together and celebrating 100 years of educational excellence.”

The school in Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, was founded in 1911 by Dame Henrietta Octavia Weston Barnett, who was a pioneer of early female education.