Wirral primary school embarks on a giant Cha-Cha-Cha to raise funds for Claire House

May 25 2011 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

Wirral primary school embarks on a giant Cha-Cha-Cha to raise funds for Claire House

A WIRRAL school is embarking on a giant playground ‘Cha-Cha-Cha’ today, to raise funds for Claire House.

Pupils of all ages, and teachers, at Oxton St Saviours Primary School in Birkenhead will put on their dancing shoes and take their partners’ hands.

Vivien Sharp is Oxton’s PE coordinator, she said: “They seem to like it and if you watch them doing it, they’re all smiling which says something about it.

“It’s good for cooperation, because they’ve got to work with their partner.

“It’s good for all sorts of different things, social as well as PE-wise.”

Even the little reception children are getting in on the act.

Eve Thomas is five-years-old and says her favourite part is “when I turn around”.

Vivien Sharp said: “Reception are just doing the basic steps and a sideways movement, every child is going forward and back and some of them are doing three chas and turns.

“There’s a big variety according to how much training they’ve had, how enthusiastic they are and how confident the teachers feel.”

And while it may be expected for boys to be distracted by more traditionally manly pursuits, both Eve and Vivien say they’ve taken to it like rugby players to Strictly Come Dancing.

Eve says the boys “really like it” while Vivien concedes some allowances can be made to achieve the general effect.

She said: “Some of them don’t like to touch hands so they kind of hover.

“But I put it to my boys that footballers are sent to ballet because it’s good for their body and condition and they all got behind it to do it.”

More than 200 children are expected on the playground today, with all money raised going to Claire House.