A FOUR-year-old girl started Peel Park Primary exactly 100 years since her great-grandfather’s first schoolday – on the school’s 100th birthday.

The amazing set of coincidences have made the celebrations at the Alice Street school in Accrington extra special.

Accrington girl Raven Lea’s arrival at Peel Park came a century after great grandfather Clifford Wilkinson was one of the very first children to enter the school when it opened.

The father-of-four and grandfather-of-eleven, who died in 1995 at the age of 89, joined a procession of schoolchildren on that day in 1910 who walked together to the gates of the new school.

His family said the the former supervisor at Ewbank Sweepers of Accrington always remembered and spoke of it.

Now his great-granddaughter is following his footsteps as the fourth generation of her family to attend the school.

Raven’s mum Lorna, 40, and grandfather Gordon Wilkinson were pupils too.

Lorna said: “My grandad wasn’t one to talk about the past much, but his first day at school was always a big story in the family.

“To mark the opening of the school, they had arranged a big procession. They went from the bottom of Avenue Parade along Alice Street into the school.

It was something he always remembered.

“It is really special that Raven should have her first day when the school celebrates it’s centenary. The odds of that happening are amazing.

“She has loved her first week and is really happy.

I have happy memories of Peel Park too so it’s good to see it continue.”