Christmas Tea Party 2024

A thankyou for our grandparents

As a community, we at Southborough understand and appreciate the crucial role that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren. Today’s parents more often than not balance two careers whilst running a busy home and raising their children. Any help and support they can get from their respective parents is a very welcome blessing.

This can be providing childcare when the grandchildren are young, dropping off children to and from school to help working parents, taxiing children between clubs and after school activities, and generally providing them with extra care, love, support and a welcome ear to listen to their worries and give them the encouragement and confidence to tackle life’s issues as they grow and mature into responsible young adults. In short, grandparents often are as invested in the education and wellbeing of their grandchildren as their parents are.

As a thankyou to all the grandparents of our boys – and the wider community of senior citizens living in the community who were once parents, grandparents or friends who continue to support our school in one way or another – Southborough hosts a special Christmas Tea Party each year for those who are able to attend. It’s an event that Southborough staff and students love getting involved with and this year was no exception, with the party being bigger and better than ever before! And it was a delight to see so many of our boys accompany their much loved grans, grandads and great aunties to the party.

Members of Southborough staff generously donated a whole tableful of Christmas gifts – ranging from toiletries, wine, biscuits, chocolate, candles and scarves – and these served as ideal ‘prizes’ that were on display for our guests to pick and choose from  throughout the course of an afternoon packed with food, drink, bingo and a Christmas quiz.

Led by Head Girl Laura and Head Boy Oscar, Sixth Form students helped set up the party beforehand and mingled with our guests, ensuring that they felt at home and were enjoying themselves. We were able to offer an extra special treat this year in the guise of Year 10 student Alfie L, who as a gifted magician (and star in the making!) performed a variety of magic tricks throughout the afternoon.

Our Year 11 Food Technology students served a delicious afternoon tea of sandwiches, sausage rolls, cheese straws, mince pies and Christmas biscuits - all made from scratch by the students! Our school choir jollied up the party by singing some popular Christmas Carols which everyone was encouraged to join in and sing along to.

We’d like to say a very BIG thank you to all our lovely guests who came along to the event – and to everyone here at Southborough who made the event happen!