Rainbow of Hope created as final legacy by city school’s Year Six leavers

The rainbow will also act as a welcome to children who return in September to St Botolphs’ C of E Primary School, in Orton Longueville, Peterborough.

Across the country, Year Six children have been unable to participate in many of the final milestones that for many mark the end of the primary school days and transition into secondary school.

Cancelled school plays, residential trips and celebration events have radically altered the end of Year Six landscape.

The leavers have been busy in their classroom bubbles building a rainbow of ‘Birds of Hope’ in the main hall and symbolises the hopes of pupils and staff at the school for the future, when pupils return to school in September. Each of the colours of the rainbow represent a year group from Reception to Year Six and each bird one of the 420 pupils at the school.

In addition Year Six pupils have been busy writing letters and recording video messages for their fellow pupils at the school, as well as their Year Six friends, many of whom they have been unable to say goodbye to.

Headteacher Helen Rouse says: “Our ‘Rainbow Birds of Hope’ symbolises how each and every pupil is important in our school and how we will only be complete when all our pupils return in September.

“The outer colour represents our year six pupils who, like birds, will be flying on to new experiences and adventures at secondary school, and the smallest arch our new reception intake of children who we look forward to welcoming and nurturing in September.”

She explained: “Year Six children wanted to create a visual legacy of hope for the future and a way of communicating with each and every pupil in the school what it has meant to be in our school and their ‘rainbow’ message of hope for all pupils who will return in September.”

Luckily Year Six pupil Cole has been placed in a bubble with his best friend Tom who he met on the first day of school in reception.

Cole said: “As soon as Tom sat on the carpet I said to him, ‘will you be my friend?’ and our friendship has continued throughout school.”

While Year Six will be passing on their words of wisdom and hope to younger pupils Cole and Tom will be sharing a socially distanced ‘air hug’ against the backdrop of their Year Six ‘Rainbow of Hope’ Legacy.