Wirral primary school celebrates 60th anniversary with ‘mini Reminisce’ festival this Saturday

Most schools mark major milestones with fete days or celebration services, but a primary in Leasowe has decided to celebrate its 60^th anniversary with a funky-first music festival.

CastleFest will see amazing headline acts N-Trance and 2Funky2 performing at Castleway Primary School this Saturday, alongside hit DJs Lee Butler, Steve Cocky and John B from In Demand Radio.

And headteacher Stuart Mycroft (picture above) says: “We’d love it, if everyone came together and joined us for this day of joy and celebration!”

Stuart came up with the idea of a festival after conversations in school about how it would celebrate such a momentous occasion, and he says: “I’m quite known for being one of those people who thinks outside the box and is a bit rogue, dare I say, and we had been thinking about live music and a party on the school field.

“So I messaged In Demand host Claire Simmo from the school Instagram account – I had a little fan girl moment – and she was lovely.

“I explained we were celebrating our 60^th and would love to have a party and festival type of event, and she put me in touch with the events team.

“And it’s great. Lee Butler and N-Trance were at St Helens for the Reminisce Festival only the other week – so we have literally got a mini Reminisce on the school field!”

Stuart adds: “We are really excited, and more so because it’s really tapped into something for the local community. For lots of our parents Reminisce is out of reach because of the distance being in St Helens, and the price.

“But you can come to our festival for £9. One parent said they’d never been to a festival before or experienced anything like it. So we are all about experiences for our children – what about experiences for our parents and the community too?

“We have been really lucky to partner with In Demand. They broadcast to Liverpool and across the North West, but are based in Wirral, and their selling point is about being live and local – and we are definitely live and local so it was a really logical partnership.”

CastleFest will run from 12 noon to 6pm at the school, which is in Castleway North in the heart of Leasowe.

The tightknit community school which prides itself on collaboration and positive relationships, has invited other schools, businesses and communities surrounding it to join in the fun, which is says is ‘not to be missed’.

As well and its exciting partnership with In Demand which has meant some star acts and DJs, CastleFest will also be showcasing performances from local talents, Mandi Fisher and ExtravaDance.

And, promising a great day for all the family, there will also be inflatables, stalls, games like ‘Beat the Keeper’, food, a licenced bar, face painting, hair art, and more. 

Stuart says: “Castleway is a special place and we’re delighted to be celebrating this significant milestone for our school.

“Over the years, Castleway has welcomed many amazing individuals through our doors, who have gone on to achieve fabulous things in life. Some ex-pupils are now part of our staff team too! 

“Our children and families really are at the heart of everything we do. Our motto is ‘Be kind. Be confident. Be your best.’ and we understand that a happy and successful school community is built on nurturing open relationships between us all. 

“One of the phrases we use a lot is ‘we are Castleway’ and we’re always reinforcing the unity of that, so being able to celebrate with everybody is something that we are really looking forward to. 

“We are still having the other celebrations too, like a coffee morning for former staff this Friday and a singalong assembly with songs through the decades.

“But CastleFest puts the focus on the celebration and gathering together.

“More than that, we are a little primary school in the middle of the Leasowe Estate and we have got Lee Butler and N-Trance performing on our school field, so it says to our pupils, if we can do that, what can you do if you set your sights high?! It sounds cheesy, but it says anything is possible.”

Tickets are still available for the event and cost £9 plus a £1 booking fee. Children under three are free.

To get your tickets go to the website HERE.

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