Huge fundraising effort from Minster Junior School

A junior school with fewer than 50 pupils has benefited from a new play area after raising more than £8,000.

The Minster Junior School, which was established over 1,000 years ago, unveiled its new trim trail facilities.

Rob Burns, the school’s head, said: “I appreciate that this may seem like a modest accomplishment for many other organisations, but for a school with only 40 pupils, some of which are siblings, it was a major achievement to raise over £8,000 for our new trim trail during a year that was marred with covid lockdowns and remote teaching.”

Mr Burns said a need was identified during the first covid lockdown when the school acted as a community hub for many keyworker children from the surrounding villages.

Led by the MSPTA, the school’s parent and teacher fundraising team, fundraisers were held where permissible and organisations were approached for support.

Although the funds were in place in Spring 2021, supplier delays as a result of source material shortages and covid backlogs meant equipment has just been installed.

Originally only used to educate the cathedral choristers, the school now teaches talented musicians from around the county.

It is one of only a tiny minority of state junior schools in the country which permits entry not determined by geographical catchment but instead on musical talent.