Surprise charity Santa visit "brings magic of Christmas" to children at Leeds specialist school after tough Covid year

PhysCap's Elliot Landy dresses up as Santa for children at John Jamieson school

A charity-arranged Santa visit to a Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre school for pupils with special needs has brought the "magic of Christmas" to the children after a tough year of Covid struggles.

The pupils at John Jamieson school in Roundhay, Leeds were met with a surprise visit from Santa after Yorkshire-based charity, PhysCap, dressed one of its committee members up to visit the children.

Santa “delighted” the pupils by delivering chocolate boxes to each child individually at the school, which is one of the East Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres in Leeds.

PhysCap, a volunteer-led charity set up to support physically and mentally disabled children across Yorkshire, has worked closely with John Jamieson school for many years and usually gets involved with the Christmas assembly.

The children were "delighted" by the visit

The head of the East SILC John Jamieson School, Bridie Dorning, said: “Our pupils at the East SILC John Jamieson school were thrilled and delighted when they received a surprise visit from Santa earlier in the week.

“Our great friends from the Charity PhysCap organised this special treat and the pupils were awestruck when they saw Santa arrive in the playground.

“The restrictions of COVID-19 have presented many challenges for our pupils and the whole school community.

“Many of our pupils present with a range of special needs and for some, this will have been the only opportunity that they will have had this year to see Santa and experience the magic that goes with Christmas.

Each child was given a chocolate box from a social-distance

“We are so grateful to PhysCap for their generous support and for bringing a little piece of unexpected awe and wonder into our school.”

John Jamieson had to close for two weeks this term after a Covid outbreak.