Grantham school leavers take part in special service

Schoolchildren due to start National Junior School in September took part in a special leaving service last week.

Year 2 children from Little Gonerby Infant School, in Sandon Road, and Harrowby Infant School, in New Beacon Road, were guests of honour at the annual transition service at St Wulfram’s Church last Wednesday to help them get to know each other and their new school.

National assistant headteacher and head of Year 3, Angela Comerford, helped to organise the service.

She said: “Moving to a new school can be frightening and a little daunting for a child so the service is a great way to show them that we are looking forward to having them.

“The children drew and cut around their hands before annotating and completing the sentence ‘At the National my hands will…’ with their own ideas.”

Each pupil presented their handprints during the service, which were all added together to make a rainbow collage. They also sang hymns and said prayers together.

It is the second time that the junior school has organised the service.

Mrs Comerford added: “It has been very successful. It is a nice way for both parents and pupils to get together. It was a really special afternoon.”

Little Gonerby headteacher Helen Hilton is pleased with how much the children enjoyed the service.

She added: “It is a really lovely opportunity for our children to meet with the Year 3 children at the National School and the children from Harrowby Infant School, who will be their classmates. It also helps them to start to feel part of the school community.”

The handprint collage will be displayed in the school hall at National in September so the children can see something that they have already been part of.

Mrs Hilton added: “It is also a great opportunity for the Year 2 pupils to meet the present Year 3 children, who also attended the service and talked about what is was like for them.”

Pupils in Year 2 at Harrowby Infants were also at the service.

They said: “We are very excited about moving to Year 3 and the rainbow of our hands made it very special because now we feel joined as one with the National School.”