Right royal fun for Southsea junior school pupils at Queen’s Platinum Jubilee tea party

Pupils, parents, teaching staff, cleaners, and dinner ladies at Fernhurst Junior School in Francis Avenue joined together for the event, which featured a picnic, competitions, and dressing-up fun.

A live band played music from the 1950s, the decade that the Queen came to the throne.

Assistant headteacher Sarah Rayner has been at the school for 22 years, and was a pupil there herself.

She said ‘It went really, really well - it was a real memorable occasion for the children.

‘They were all given a commemorative bookmark and there was live music. They haven’t had that experience because of the pandemic and we thought having a live band would be memorable.

‘The children have gone away really high - it was very loud.’

Although the live music had to be moved inside due to high winds, the children still braved the elements to enjoy a picnic outdoors.

Sarah added: ‘Because it is such a historic occasion, the governors gave me a budget which is how we had the band playing.

‘The children and the parents have been amazing.

‘We have had a cake competition, a portrait of the Queen competition, every child was in red, white, and blue, or dressed as a princess, queen, or soldier.

‘They all had flags to wave.

‘We’ve also raised money by filling up an outline of the Queen’s head with silver coins, and this will be used to buy some commemorative books.’