MORE than 80 senior citizens enjoyed a pre-Christmas party at The Cotswold School in a tradition that has been going for more than 15 years.

Year 11 students hosted the party and prepared every aspect from choosing the menu to preparing the food, decorating the hall and providing entertainment.

Eve Tingle, head of Year 11, said: ‘While the students have a lot of fun organising the event, they also consider it a great privilege to be able to invite senior members of our community into the school. Our guests are always assured of a very warm welcome!’

Surrounded by miles of paper chains and waited upon by enthusiastic Cotswold School students bearing cups and saucers and plates of carefully prepared mince pies, sausage rolls, sandwiches, trifles, shortbread and more, the guests enjoyed seasonal music performed by the students as well as a raffle.

One of the guests, Joyce Heath of Bourton on the Water, who chatted with student Grace Powell, said: "This is my second year here. It is wonderful to come out, visit the school and see the students, otherwise it would probably just be me on my own at home." Grace, speaking on behalf of her year group added: "We really enjoy it. It is a privilege for us to be able to do this."

Principal Will Morgan also attended the party and enjoyed meeting many of the guests, including Mrs Harper. "Mrs Harper is the proud grandmother of two of our past students, both of whom I remember well and it is wonderful to have news of them," he said.

"This annual Christmas party is a fantastic tradition. We are a community school and occasions like this are very important to the life of The Cotswold School."

For some of those more senior members of the school’s local community who were unable to attend the Christmas party this year, The Cotswold School sent their junior choir and Chamber choir to sing for residents and staff at Jubilee Lodge, a care home in Bourton on the Water run by The Orders of St John Care Trust.