Clifton High School came alive to celebrate Christmas with a whole host of events, activities and performances in the lead-up to the holiday season. Pupils, students, parents and extended family members came together in wonderful spirits and with much generosity.
Carol Service - A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Gathering and uniting in the beautiful setting of Clifton Cathedral, our Senior School community enjoyed another wonderful opportunity to celebrate each other and the festive season. It was a time to feel connected and share the pride and appreciation for what makes us such a special School.
In an atmosphere of love and joy that truly encapsulated the spirit of the season, the evening was a traditional service of nine lessons and carols. Whilst everyone contributed to the evening by being present, we have much gratitude to our performers, readers and most especially our dedicated Music Department for curating the event.
Following the Carol Service, families were invited to return to the School Lawn to enjoy seasonal drinks at a festive Drinks Reception.
A Celebration of Performing
Our Infant and Junior School children showcased their talents in a series of wonderful Christmas performances:
- Junior School Christmas Celebration was hosted at Christ Church Clifton, where Year 3 to 6 pupils recited poems and sang to their hearts' content renditions of festive favourites. The children's enthusiasm was wonderful to see.
- The Dance Showcase saw Infant and Junior School children from our Ballet and Hip-Hop clubs treat their parents to energetic performances bursting with pride and passion. Watch out for these future superstars!
- The Nativity Play brought the magic of Christmas life as Infant School children staged a traditional nativity complete with festive songs and dances.
- Our youngest pupils in The Hive Pre-School were stars of their own Christmas Workshop, 'A Walk in Winter Wonderland', where they invited their parents to join them in an interactive experience. It was a joyful and heartwarming morning of fun.
A Christmas Fair to Beat All Others!
A highlight of our Christmas celebrations is always the Foundation Christmas Fair, which welcomes the whole School community, along with friends and family members, for an afternoon of festive fun.
Crowds arrived to enjoy stalls offering handmade gifts and seasonal treats, games, activities, food and drink. Christmas trees were on sale, and even Father Christmas made a special appearance in his spectacular grotto. HorseWorld also brought along donkeys Barnaby and Cowslip onto the School site as part of our Festive Farmyard Experience.
A massive thank you to everyone who supported our Fair! Whether you volunteered your time or spent the afternoon enjoying everything it had to offer, we valued every single contribution. Our Development Team could not do their work without you, and thanks to your incredible support, we are thrilled to announce that the Fair has raised a whopping £12,000 £to date!
It really was the most wonderful afternoon and one that was hard to walk away from. Until next year!
A Love of Books at the Christmas Book Fairs
To encourage a continued love of reading, the fantastic Library team organised the annual Infant and Junior School and Senior and Sixth Form Christmas Book Fairs, in partnership with local bookseller, StorySmith. Over two days, children and teachers visited the Book Fairs to browse a selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, purchasing special books to enjoy themselves or give as Christmas gifts.
The Experience of Christmas Trips
Many year groups throughout the School enjoyed trips that provided time to bond with friends and gather the Christmas spirit together:
- Reception Class children took a morning stroll around Clifton Village with their teachers to soak in the sights and sense of Christmas, from shop windows to the towering 50-foot Christmas tree.
- Year 3 visited Christ Church Clifton for a meaningful and enriching Christmas Experience, exploring the traditional Christian story of Christmas through fun and engaging role-play activities. Year 11 pupils venture into Bristol City Centre for their annual Christmas trip. It was a social affair for them to enjoy Treetop Golf, some shopping time at Bristol's Christmas Market, followed by a buffet dinner at Zaza Bazaar on the Harbourside.
- Year 12 and Year 13 students visited Bath, explored its iconic Christmas Market and finished the day with dinner and drinks. It remains a day that creates special memories for the students and their teachers.
Generous Giving
In support of several local charities and initiatives, including Northwest Bristol Foodbank, CLIC House and Dementia UK, and our 2025 Christmas charity, 1625 Independent People, the giving of our community reflects the goodwill and love we have for others.
We believe that together we can make a difference, and we do.
1625 Independent People
Our Christmas charity this year, 1625 Independent People, raises funds to help young people who are homeless, leaving care or at risk of homelessness in Bristol and the Southwest. As well as providing safe, stable accommodation, the charity offers practical and emotional support to help vulnerable young people build healthy relationships, develop independent living skills and access education, training or employment.
Northwest Bristol Foodbank's Christmas Appeal
To launch the Christmas season at Clifton High School, we held a successful Foodbank collection where every year group from The Hive Pre-School through to the Sixth Form donated a wide range of non-perishable items. The response was overwhelmingly generous, helping families in need locally during the festive period. We thank everyone who contributed at this important time of the year.
CLIC House Bristol
Junior School children were invited to raise money and buy gifts for families spending Christmas at CLIC House, supporting their child through cancer. Their response was phenomenal. They spent an afternoon wrapping and sorting the gifts before loading them onto our minibus for delivery in time for Christmas Day. CLIC House were deeply appreciative of our community’s generosity.
Dementia UK
Our Sixth Form Charity House Prefects treated our Year 5 and 6 children to a Christmas Movie Night, in aid of their chosen charity, Dementia UK. The evening featured a classic film, The Polar Express, hot chocolate, popcorn and plenty of festive camaraderie.
Everything Else Christmassy!
- Sixth Form Charity Prefects organised a lunchtime House Gingerbread Competition for children to decorate gingerbread houses, judged by a panel of staff members. After a tough display of creativity, Pears were announced the overall winners!
- All our Hive, Infant and Junior School children were entertained by the Shooting Stars Pantomime Cast of Three, who brought Robin Hood to life with great songs, adventure, slapstick comedy and thigh-slapping. Their creativity in performance was a fabulous morning of laughter and joy for the children to enjoy.
- Our whole School community wore Christmas jumpers and enjoyed a festive lunch complete with all the trimmings on the final day of term, creating a wonderful atmosphere of celebration as we leave the Autumn Term behind.
- Infant School children who may have missed Father Christmas at the Foundation Christmas Fair were treated to another visit from him in their classroom, making it a magical start to the Christmas holidays.
