After a fire forced them out, Holywell Primary School kids are back home, celebrating their newly refurbished school with joy and excitement.
For a while, they stayed at Orchard Vale Primary in Barnstaple. Then, they spent 2024 in spare classrooms at Roundswell Community Primary.
Now, they’re back in their newly refurbished school, and they kicked off the New Year with a community open afternoon. Former pupils who moved to secondary schools also joined the celebration.
Holywell and Orchard Vale are part of the Ventrus Multi-Academy Trust. Roundswell is with the Tarka Learning Partnership. Roundswell had space since it opened in 2020 and isn’t full yet.
Headteacher Robinne Lowrey expressed gratitude for the support from families and the local community after the fire. She thanked Ventrus and Orchard Vale for their help with temporary accommodations.
The collaboration between the schools impressed everyone, especially the resilience of the kids. The atmosphere during the return was filled with excitement and joy.
Holywell is 200 years old and one of only two thatched schools left in the country. Lowrey highlighted the school’s values of kindness and determination, which shone through in the children.
She praised the hard work of the staff and the community’s support during this challenging year. Everyone is proud to see the kids back in their beautiful school.
