Global link with LIV Village

We are delighted to have a close link with LIV Village in Durban, South Africa. Following a visit to our school by the LIV children's choir in 2017, we have raised money for LIV through charity days in school. In 2022, we established study of LIV, its location, geography, social purpose and origin, as part of our annual curriculum so that all classes study an aspect linked to LIV during a focus week in the summer term. This curriculum focus has given the opportunity to partner with the LIV Village school by sharing thoughts, ideas, music and artwork with children at LIV. We now have an established relationship and it is exciting to be able to connect and exchange videos, photos and messages between our schools. We have found we have a lot in common - not least an enjoyment of music - despite being in very different circumstances in different continents. News of our LIV learning in July 2022 and 2023 is here on the news page and gallery.

Our school also has established links with our local community.

Thorpe Marshes

We work with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust at Thorpe Marshes to develop children's understanding and experience of our local river and the Norfolk Broads. Through regular visits to the Marshes (a short walk from school) children learn about wildlife, conservation, the history of the Broads and how to protect our ecosystem into the future.

Football

We have worked with the Thorpe St Andrew FC grassroots football club (formerly Hillside Rovers) for many years. The Thorpe St Andrew FC under 11s use the school field every weekend for training, practice and matches with children and young people from the local area.

Local projects

In October 2022, one of Hillside's Y2 pupils won the Norfolk Police time capsule competition. Asked to draw an impression of what the Police force might look like in 70 years' time, Subik envisaged flying Police cars, super-fast shoes, robot transformation uniform and more! The constabulary were delighted with Subik's ideas, and he was able to visit the new Police HQ in Norwich and have his artwork placed into a time capsule!

Christmas events

Every year at Christmas, our school choir visits local care homes to bring the joy of Christmas with their singing.

In January 2020, our Reception children began weekly visits to Wherry Court to share time, read and talk with the residents there. Every Christmas since 2020, the school Choir or classes have visited community venues to sing to local residents.

Community funding for school

In 2021, we were successful in securing £5000 sponsorship from the Aviva community fund to repair and restore our school wildlife pond area, in an exciting Wildlife Study base project. Work began in February 2021 to clear the pond and get started on re-lining and improving the area for wildlife, and we now have a thriving pond alive with plants and wildlife. The area around the pond was finished with new planting and seating in July 2022.

The pictures below show the pond as it was in 2020, then how it now is in 2023 after the project. The totem pole was carved by a parent, using the trunk of tree that had to be felled from the school field.