CHILDREN at a Staffordshire Moorlands Primary School are all kitted out for the school trip of a lifetime thanks to support from digger giant JCB.
A total of 55 Year 5 students at Cheadle Primary School are set to embark on a five-day expedition to Paris and will be proudly sporting special gear donated by JCB which has two factories in the town.
Each child has been given JCB hoodies, rain macs, hi-viz jackets and backpacks as a special uniform for the journey from June 5th to 9th.
Cheadle Primary School headteacher Debbie Breeze scooped a £68,000 grant from the Government-funded Turing Scheme to enable the youngsters to take the European break which will see them explore the French capital with a boat trip on the River Seine, climb the Eiffel Tower and spend a day at Disneyland Paris.
Mrs Breeze said: “Our application for the grant focused on our relationship with JCB as a global business, and the support we have had from them has been phenomenal. Over the past year we have built a really strong bond; JCB have helped us to build an outdoor classroom area, the children have visited the factory and Fastrac tractor production line, and apprentices have come into school to run STEM projects too. “Many of our children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and have never been lucky enough to travel, but now they are getting a wider perspective on the world and really understand that JCB’s machines help build infrastructure right across the globe. They are using their JCB knowledge in all kinds of school projects and the trip to France will help them understand the wider world and broaden their horizons even more.”
JCB Earthmovers Operations Director Paul Wilson added: “Supporting the community where many of our employees and their children live is very important to us – and we certainly hope some of the Cheadle Primary youngsters will be our employees of the future. We are proud to be able to help the school and it’s a pleasure to do whatever we can to raise the children’s aspirations and enjoy their education. I am sure the children will be fantastic ambassadors for the town and JCB in their new uniforms on their European adventure.”