PARENTS, pupils and teachers at Aileymill Primary welcomed the return of the school's Thistle Cafe just in time for the end of term.

It has been brought back for the first time since Covid restrictions were first introduced in March 2020.

Primary six pupils lined up a variety of activities for their parents and peers, including face painting, home baking and all manner of crafts.

The school has been running the parent cafe since it opened in 2010, meeting every month or so pre-pandemic.

Head teacher Catriona Miller told the Tele that the cafe had been sorely missed over the last two years.

She said: “It’s an enterprise event that’s organised completely by the pupils of primary six.

“It’s huge having it back, you can feel the buzz having all the parents and the siblings back in the building.

“The kids do everything - they do the ordering, working out the mark-up on the prices and then they work out the profits.

“They all have different roles and it gives them lots of real life-learning.

“The school has always been the absolute centre of its community and we could feel that seeing everyone once again.

“It’s so important to share the learning and share the experience of being in school.

“Both myself and my depute Angela have been here since the school opened, we’ve spent out entire teaching careers in Larkfield.

“It means a massive amount to us, it runs in our veins.”

While the children take on a variety of roles at the cafe, such as running stalls, helping with cleaning and selling home baking, their parents catch up with each other while enjoying a cake and cuppa.

One mum, Linda Dooley, says she has been coming to the get-togethers for years and praised the 'amazing' community spirit it brought to the school.

She added: “The kids really look forward to it.

“We’re amazed by the job they do, especially the baking.

“I think more schools should do this, it’s great for the kids and it’s also a good social setting for parents to come in and meet other parents.

“We really missed it over lockdown, as did the kids.

“With things like this Aileymill doesn't feel like a school with teachers, it’s more of an extended family.”