All schools aim to provide the best for their children, but it is difficult to reach for the top from East Cleveland in these challenging financial times. With well over 500 pupils at Skelton Primary School, over a third of families struggle with disadvantage with school receiving a top up Pupil Premium grant.

The school is very proud of their choir who perform in events around the Tees Valley to entertain and showcase their talents. They range in age from 7 to 11 and come to school at 8am on Fridays, all year round, to rehearse. The choir is free to join and requires no further outlay from the parents. The choir run by Ms Cox perform in various locations, such as churches and care homes entertaining and raising money for good causes.

In March of this year, the choir were given the opportunity of a lifetime to join the Celebration PROM PRAISE for children at the Royal Albert Hall taking 30 children down for the ‘London adventure’, visiting the London Eye, Harry Potter World, and the Houses of Parliament, as well as spending a day at the Royal Albert Hall rehearsing and performing. The cost of each child attending was well over £400, but to maximise attendance the school passed on just a small percentage of this cost to families and set about on a mass fundraising project.

On being made aware of their financial situation by a lodge/chapter member who is a vigorous supporter of the choir, local Freemasons donated £1,800 to assist those parents who required help with the costs. Generous donations were received from Priory Chapter, Handyside Lodge, Huntcliffe Lodge, Lofthouse Lodge, Old Guisborian Lodge and Ayton Lodge as our picture shows, the children really appreciated this support!