Hartlepool's Clavering Primary School celebrates annual harvest festival

Clavering Primary School’s annual harvest celebration was a huge success this year, with staff and pupils helping to raise funds for Alice House Hospice and food donations for the Holy Trinity Food Kitchen.

The harvest festival is celebrated across the globe and is a time for people to reflect on and show gratitude for the food that they have.

Many schools participate in this festival, collecting food for those in need across the community.

Clavering Primary School, in Clavering Road, celebrated in style by building a scarecrow exhibition, holding Halloween movie nights for the children and hosting its annual pumpkin carving competition.

Headteacher Sonya Black said: “Our events this week have been a wonderful way to end the half-term and really demonstrate the skills and imagination of our wonderful children and staff.

"We are hugely grateful for our families’ generosity in supporting these causes.”

Throughout the week, children and families gathered to admire the imaginative characters made from hay bales – including popular cartoon characters – and carved a range of original, spooky and cute pumpkins.

Each class designed a hay bale, displaying them outside the school for all to see.

Mrs Black said: “We just felt it was a different way to celebrate the harvest and support our local community.”

She added: “The range of pumpkin designs was second to none. It is a lovely project for families to work on together.

"We thank everyone for their ideas and participation.”