'All In This Together': Ellesmere Primary School video proves an online hit
A Shropshire primary school's all-singing and dancing efforts to keep children's spirits up while learning at home have reached a far wider audience than expected.
Teachers at Ellesmere Primary School have been getting inventive when setting homeschooling activities, with plenty of fun and games sprinkled in with the core curriculum subjects.
One of the motivational moves saw children film themselves while singing and dancing to the High School Musical hit song All in This Together, and the video was shared on Facebook.
Now more than 20,000 people have watched the heart-warming footage, with hundreds sharing it across social media.
Sophie Jones, who came up with the idea along with fellow Year 1 teacher Gemma Hampson, said: "I thought it would be amazing to put a video together of all the kids dancing, and Gemma had the brilliant idea to do it to All in This Together.
"We got parents to send in videos of the kids dancing and we put it all together.
"It's fantastic how far it has gone, and that we are able to share the positivity. Seeing the children having some fun with smiles on their faces is putting a smile on other people's faces."
Another source of enjoyment was April Fool's Day, when children and teachers posted photos of them 'breaking the rules' by dressing up in silly clothes and painting their faces.
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Headteacher Stuart Roberts is immensely proud of the efforts while schools are closed due to the coronavirus crisis.
He said: "Staff are using online learning platforms, direct messages, photos, videos and any other way they can think of to keep parents and children involved in the ongoing life of the school.
"Each class teacher is able to send tasks and activities directly to their classes and to individual children, and collaborative tasks are aimed at helping children to feel connected at this time of isolation.
"All this is happening on a daily basis, and we have had excellent feedback from parents."
Ellesmere Primary School joined North West Academies Trust (NWAT) in September 2016 and is now in the middle of an ambitious programme of transformation.
Classrooms have been significantly upgraded, with fresh fittings and state-of-the-art kitchen areas, new flooring and heating systems have been installed and the car park has been made safer.
The school was highly praised in last year’s ‘good’ Ofsted inspection and pupil numbers are on the rise.
