THE sight of scarecrows at St Andrew’s CE Primary School did not frighten off visitors helping to celebrate their harvest festival.

Youngsters at the Over Hulton school proved to be “outstanding in their field” when it came to creating the colourful characters as part of their thanksgiving celebrations.

The school held at scarecrow festival to help mark the annual event, with each class creating one to reflect their topic of study.

There was everything from Henry VIII to land girls, and unbeknown to headteacher Simon Charnock, there was one which modelled on him.

Mr Charnock said: “This is the first year we have held a scarecrow festival.

“Every year we mark the Harvest Festival with a service for pupils and parents, and donations are made to Winter Watch, the Bolton charity for homeless people.

“This year we decided to have each class make a scarecrow, linking it with the curriculum and to what they are learning.

“Some created artworks based round the project in their own time at home.

“We had different characters, and even one of me, created by one of the teachers, which the children and staff kept secret until they were on show.”

He added: “I would have like to have looked a less rotund.”

All the scarecrows went on show on Friday afternoon for parents — some of whom had come into school to help the children — to look at.

Fortunately, the weather was perfect for the fun ending of the school’s harvest celebrations.

Mr Charnock added: “The children put a lot of effort into the scarecrows and we had parents in school to have look at the scarecrows.

“We also had donation boxes out so more was collected for the charity.”

The event was certainly a hit with pupils.

Jackson Rothwell, aged 10, said: “I liked the tractor coming into school,” while 10-year-old Grace Hardman added: “I enjoyed making the Frieda the land girl with the class.”