THE deputy headteacher of a Basingstoke primary school will be running a marathon to make sure no child is left out of school activities.

On May 27, Nathan Gynn of Chiltern Primary School on Chiltern Way will be running a marathon to help raise much-needed funds to subsidise school trips for pupils across the school.

Mr Gynn, who has been deputy headteacher since April 2017, is passionate that all pupils should be able to go on school trips.

He said: “With our catchment being one of the most deprived areas of Basingstoke the challenge of sending pupils on school trips becomes even harder for our parents to afford.

"Many families across the country have faced job losses, and in our catchment particularly this has been a huge factor in our families struggling to make ends meet so with the aim of.

"Raising enough funds to subsidise these trips will mean every pupil will have the same opportunity and access to these vital educational experiences.”

The aim of the marathon is to raise £2000, a substantial sum that will help the school to meet some of the cost of the trips and reduce the burden of cost on parents.

Having already raised £800 of his target, Mr Gynn is now more determined than ever to reach the full target.

He added: “Covid-19 has taken so much from our pupils already and being able to offer the education enrichment of school trips back to them this summer would mean the world to all of us at Chiltern Primary School.

"The staff have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to support pupils learning in person and remotely, but the advantage of school trips is that they allow the pupils to see the benefits of their learning in front of their eyes – it brings everything they have learnt to life.”

The marathon route will take Mr Gynn from Chiltern Primary school in Buckskin, Basingstoke to Marwell Zoo in Winchester, taking in the villages along the way. The route was specifically chosen as a trip to Marwell Zoo would be a normal occurrence for every Reception Year pupil.

To get involved and donate to the cause please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chiltern-marathon