Shropshire schools celebrate as they share in a big cash boost
Five county schools have been celebrating after winning a share of £12,000.
The Shropshire Star’s ‘Cash for Schools’ competition, sponsored by Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, was open to all infant and primary schools with reception to Year 6 pupils within the Shropshire Star circulation area.
School staff, pupils, parents, grandparents, friends and families, have all rallied together to collect tokens in an effort to secure one of the five cash prizes on offer.
For this year’s winners – High Ercall Primary School, which took the £5,000 top prize – it was the second success in a row, having scooped the number one spot last year too.
Headteacher Sarah Roberts said: “We are thrilled. It is just another fantastic community effort from our parents, from ex-pupils, from relatives of our families, we are just stunned and delighted.”
She said the money would now be used to refurbish an outdoor classroom, and improve the pond in the school’s forest area.
She said: “It will continue from our spending the money last year, which we used to renovate a garden area, which looks absolutely beautiful now and the children use it for all sorts of things, sitting reflecting, reading, drawing.”
The headteacher said the next project to renovate the outdoor classroom would create “a really exciting attractive space outside”.
Mrs Roberts said the competition made a big difference to small schools.
She said: “It is huge. We are a small school in a small rural community so it is giving us some extra money to spend on areas of the school we would not be able to afford to otherwise.”
Bomere Heath CE Primary School and St John the Baptist School at Ruyton XI Towns, scooped £3,000 and £2,000 respectively.
Both schools are in the Bowmere and XI Towns Federation, with executive headteacher Julie Ball in charge. She said they were absolutely delighted and thanked parents, staff and the community for their support.
She said Bowmere would be using the money for upgrading computer and IT equipment, while St John would buying trikes and bikes for the early years section at the school.
She also revealed that some of the St John pupils would be making their own suggestions for the remaining funds.
She said: “Two of the children came to see me the day after we had the cheque to say they would like a suggestion box for any money we have not earmarked yet, so we had a discussion about that and they will be coming up with suggestions for the rest.”
Clunbury CE Primary has received £1,000, and Lead Teacher Kathryn Jones said they were thrilled at getting it for the second year running.
She said: “It is wonderful as we are such a small school so the money means we can buy those things that normally we have to save for a long time for.
“It gives the children opportunities they would not normally have and resources they would not normally have.”
She said that last year’s funding had been spent on an amplifier for music activities and this year’s will be used to create a wellbeing area for the pupils – with a sensory path.
She said it would mean they could now pay for a firm to do the work – with staff previously planning to do the digging themselves.
Buildwas Academy is also receiving £1,000 and head of school, Jason Millington, said they were delighted.
He said: “For us obviously we are a very small school, we have got 91 on roll so when we found out we were absolutely thrilled. Our parents and community worked very hard to get us in the top five.”
He added: “Honestly we were absolutely gobsmacked. So many schools were taking part, we thought ‘what chance would a tiny village school like us have’, and when we found out we were absolutely elated.”
Mr Millington said the money would now be used for furniture as part of plans to upgrade the school’s early years outside area.
Winners
High Ercall Primary School – £5,000 winner
Bomere Heath CE Primary School – £3,000 winner
St John the Baptist School – £2,000 winner
Clunbury CE Primary School – £1,000 winner
Buildwas Academy – £1,000 winner
