Big-hearted students in Exeter brought Christmas cheer to dozens of local families after hosting a festive community dinner filled with music, laughter and generosity.
Students at St James School in Exeter, part of the Ted Wragg Trust, welcomed families from across the city for their annual Christmas community celebration, spreading festive spirit through song, food and warm hospitality
Performing Arts students set the tone for the evening by singing seasonal favourites such as ‘Last Christmas’ and ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ as guests arrived. And as the 85 guests took their seats, the school’s prefect team delivered a warm welcome
Guests included families from St James School, Willowbrook Primary School and Whipton Barton Federation, as well as members of the wider community supported by The Beacon Centre.
Students were involved in every part of the evening – cooking a two-course meal, serving at tables and providing live entertainment – before a surprise visit from Father Christmas delighted guests just before dessert was served.
Emily Harper, Headteacher at St James, said: “We love welcoming the community into our school at Christmas and this year’s celebration was a truly joyful event. This has become such a highlight of our calendar, and I look forward to it ever year. I’m so proud of our students, who made every guest feel welcome, and our choir who performed beautifully. Moments like this truly reflect our ethos – strengthening our community and helping our students grow into kind, confident young people.”
The event was made possible thanks to the commitment of students, staff and generous local supporters. Tesco, Educatering and Waitrose donated food and supplies, while Bouygues supported fundraising efforts, including a £200 supermarket voucher.
St James’ School champions four core values for its students: kindness, equity for all through high standards, community at the heart, and celebrating diversity. The school keeps their community at the heart of everything they do, building strong partnerships with other schools and working closely with Educatering by Goosemoor to provide weekly food hampers to families.
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