Calderdale primary school's joy as it gets its first ever minibus

It is the first minibus ever owned by Sowerby Village Primary School, which will be used to transport staff and students on regular field trips and is the product of many months fundraising.

The school’s headteacher Lynsey Mitchell said: “We’ve got a higher proportion of families that come from slightly deprived backgrounds than the majority of schools, according to the Pupil Premium Criteria.

“This means that quite often holidays and trips away aren’t always an option for our families, so we try to provide as many field trips as we can to interesting places.”

Fundraising events from coffee mornings to school discos were given a major boost by a £5,000 donation by Lloyds Banking Group and £1,000 by Border’s Children’s Charity.

Mrs Mitchell said: “These trips are great, but they have to be paid for and, whilst they are subsidised, they often come out of the pockets of families.

“One of the big expenditures was the hiring of minibuses. This should help that.”