Schools rally for record-breaking Children in Need Appeal

West Norfolk Academies Trust classrooms and playgrounds were buzzing with high-energy activities for the annual BBC Children in Need Appeal.

Smithdon High School, Clenchwarton Primary, and Walpole Cross Keys Primary were amongst our schools that saw students and staff trade uniforms for costumes, bake sale treats, and even compete in sporting challenges, all aimed at fundraising for vulnerable children and young people across the UK. Other WNAT schools taking part included West Lynn Primary, Heacham Infant and Junior Schools, and Snettisham Primary.

At Smithdon High in Hunstanton, fundraising took a fiercely competitive turn as teachers battled students in a thrilling series of sporting duels, led by Head of PE Jamie Tilley.

Held during the lunch break, the rivalry included activities like Boccia, Table Tennis, and Archery, with every participant donating to the cause.

Refreshments were also on offer, with a bake sale fundraiser taking place at break time and lunch, courtesy of Smithdon ASDAN Lead Kayleigh Brown and her Year 10 and 11 students; while all year groups were able to swap their uniforms for their own choice of outfit or costume.

“The school has been taking part in Children in Need for many years, raising money in a variety of ways, including bake sales, non-uniform days, and staff and student challenges,” said Design and Technology Teacher Alix Birks, who supported the school’s Student Council in planning the event.

“The students enjoy wearing their own clothes for a day, and being able to buy treats, as well as taking part in a range of sporting challenges – they especially love it when students can attempt to try and beat the staff, and win the chance to claim bragging rights over them!”

Mrs Birks continued: “We do not have a specific target in mind. Anything that we can raise for Children in Need would be great to support such a good cause. “In recent years, we have raised around £300. We would be over the moon if we could get close to that figure again.”

Headteacher Amanda Gibbins added: “It is a great opportunity for the school community to raise money for some really worthy causes, and I am proud of how passionately our students get behind these events."

With a target of £200 or more, children at Walpole Cross Keys Primary School threw themselves into a range of activities to help raise money for the BBC Children in Need appeal.

These included treasure hunts, quizzes, guess the number of sweets in the jar and pin the patch on Pudsey. They even took the opportunity to discuss why fundraising is necessary with their class teacher.

“The children knew that they were raising money because some children in this country and other countries are not as lucky as we are and some are poor, have no home or food and need our help,” said Billy Overton, Assistant Head. “We have a brilliant community spirit and always rally round when someone needs help - the families here show me this all the time. At Walpole, we know we can help in our own locality and be part of something bigger to help people all round the world."

Meanwhile, there was a sudden outbreak of spots and yellow tinges when Clenchwarton Primary School joined the fun for Children in Need.

The school held its fundraising event on Thursday as Friday was school photo day and the children needed to be in uniform for that. Pupils were invited to wear something in the dashing yellow shade of mascot Pudsey Bear, or to wear something spotty like the eye patch Pudsey wears to promote the charity. There were even Pudsey ears and face painting for children to enjoy to help get them to their £200 target.

Over at Gaywood Primary School, pupils embraced the national Children in Need theme: ‘Challenge Yourself 25’. On Friday, children in EYFS and KS1 completed a high-energy 25-minute Dance-athon, while students in KS2 are set to complete as many laps of the playground as they can in 25 minutes on Monday.

The School Council discussed ideas and decided on these activities as they would be both fun and challenging for the children. The school’s initial total has already surpassed £300, an amount expected to rise as the final sponsorship money comes in next Friday.

Georgina Whitford, one of the teachers who organised the event, said: "The students showed great enthusiasm and effort. Even if dancing wasn't their thing, they still joined in knowing it was for a special event. "My favourite moment was when all the children sang 'Golden' together. The song has a really important message about diversity and being who they are."

She added: "We hope that joining in with charity events like this will highlight the importance of working together and helping others. Showing that even the smallest thing can make a big difference."

The effort was certainly noticed by the children. Year Two pupil Ottilie Blackmore, seven, said: "I loved dancing and having fun with my friends. My favourite song to dance to was Gangnum Style. "It was hard to keep dancing for so long but we knew it was important to help raise money for Children in Need because the children they help don't have as much as we have."

At West Lynn Primary School, PSHE Lead Laura Bailey organised a day of focused activity involving the whole school.

The day began with an assembly presented by the School Council that explained the importance of the appeal and the purpose of the fundraising. This was followed by engaging art and craft activities themed around Pudsey and the charity day within the classrooms.

Dan Ryan, assistant head teacher, said: "The day was a great success. It was great to see all of the children dressed in Pudsey costumes or wearing spots to raise awareness. There were loads of smiles and happy children today which is always nice to see."

The collective efforts across these schools reinforce the Trust’s deep commitment to developing community responsibility among its pupils.

While the final overall total for all the West Norfolk Academies Trust schools is still being calculated, the generosity shown by pupils, staff, and families is expected to result in a substantial donation to the annual Children in Need appeal.