RGS Pays Tribute to Pioneer Sheila Scott with Unveiling of Blue Plaque
On Friday 13 October, we celebrated the installation of our third blue plaque at RGS Worcester, unveiled by the Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Louis Stephen. The newly installed plaque for Sheila Scott OBE sits proudly alongside that of Alice Ottley, the founder of what became The Alice Ottley School where Sheila went to School.
Born in Worcestershire in 1922, Sheila attended The Alice Ottley School between 1927-39 and is known for her pioneering achievements in aviation. Sheila broke over 100 aviation records in her flying career including being the first British pilot to fly solo around the world in 1966 and latterly in 1971 completing an epic 34,000 mile “world and a half” flight where she became the first person to fly over the North Pole in a small aircraft.
The Worcester Civic Society first approached RGS last year about their wish to recognise the incredible achievements of Sheila Scott and the School was delighted to support this request. One of the primary roles of the Civic Society is to advocate and encourage public interest in the history and culture of Worcestershire and to celebrate inspirational individuals from the area.
Honorary Secretary of The Civic Society, John Wickson, who also taught at RGS for a number of years said of the occasion: “This is an appropriate location to place a plaque in recognition of Sheila Scott, not least because her achievements have the potential to inspire inquiring pupils who will be looking at the plaque as they come in to School each day.”
Guests enjoyed a reception at the School and were welcomed by the Headmaster before hearing from the Mayor and then from Sheila Scott’s Biographer, Judy Lomax. Civic Society members were joined by the four RGS School Captains, Callum, Catherine, Callum and Izzy.
The Headmaster said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Mayor of Worcester and so many of the Civic Society for the unveiling of another blue plaque at the School. Sheila Scott’s aviation achievements are quite remarkable and represent so much of what we instil in our pupils today; a sense of adventure, a commitment to pursue their passions and resilience in the face of adversity. We are very grateful to the Civic Society for helping us to celebrate Sheila’s achievements in this way. The blue plaques are a testament to the rich and varied history of our School and to the many achievements of our alumni community”.
The unveiling of the plaque featured in the Worcester News on Thursday this week.
The Foundation Team
