Clenchwarton and Shouldham pupils show off their best festive attire

Ahead of the Christmas holidays, schoolchildren have been enjoying plenty of festive fun in West Norfolk.

Both Shouldham Primary Academy and Clenchwarton Primary School pupils have been showing off their best Christmas jumpers this week.

Just like Heartwood Primary and Nursery School in Swaffham, the Clenchwarton children were raising funds for the Save the Children charity by wearing the jumpers on Thursday.

They also enjoyed a craft day and a special Christmas lunch.

Shouldham Primary pupils traditionally wear festive jumpers with their Christmas dinner.

Headteacher Katherine Howe said: "This year we had to have 'bubble' dinners in the hall. There were four sittings over two days but it was still fun and it kept us all smiling.

"The children are lucky enough to have some amazing Christmas jumpers, a real selection and worn with pride with their uniform."

She added: "Our Christmas jumpers are a celebration of the season and of the pleasure in eating our really delicious Christmas dinners. They taste just like home!"

Earlier in the month, the school held an 'Elf Day' in which the pupils dressed up in aid of the Alzheimer's Society.

Meanwhile, Year 7 pupils at Smithdon High School in Hunstanton took time out from their own Christmas countdown to put a smile on the face of local care home residents by creating a video of Christmas jokes, group singing and poetry reading, as well as providing gifts and cards.

The scheme was part of the Times Educational Supplement’s nationwide #Classroomstocarehomes project.

“It was a positive project for our Year 7s, they really engaged with it and wrote some really thoughtful comments and messages,” said the school’s deputy head Sarah Robinson. “It's helped them to understand more about loneliness at this time of year, particularly this year.”

During the week, a group of students from Smithdon, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, along with the school’s pastoral manager Julie Bowyer and Year 7 tutor Angus Duncan, delivered the gifts, to the delight of care home staff and residents.

“One of the homes, Somerset Villa, sent us a parcel to say how much they’d loved our messages and how much they appreciated the gifts,” Mrs Robinson added.

“They sent the children a card in return too, so I think they really get the message of how a little gesture like that can go a long way at this time of year, and how much people value it.”