Parents at St Cyprian's in Thornton Heath raised £3,670 in their charity's first year. Next: a library, sensory facilities and a Christmas fair on 4 December.
Parents at St Cyprian’s Greek Orthodox Primary Academy in Thornton Heath have raised £3,670 in the first year of their new charity. Now they want a new school library and better sensory and wellbeing facilities for children with special educational needs.
Their next big fundraiser is a Winter Wonderland Christmas Fair on Friday 4 December, open to school families and the wider community.
St Cyprian’s describes itself as the only state-funded, full-time Greek Orthodox primary school in the country (St Cyprian’s, welcome page). It teaches the English national curriculum alongside Greek language, culture and Orthodox Christian traditions. Greek is taught by teachers from the High Commission of Cyprus, the school says.
“While the school has deep roots within London’s Greek and Cypriot communities, it welcomes children from all backgrounds, making it a truly distinctive part of Croydon’s educational landscape,” St Cyprian’s Fellowship told Croydon Today.
A new parents’ charity
The previous PTA closed. Parents set up St Cyprian’s Fellowship this year as “a fresh start and a new chapter” (school PTA page). It is on the Charity Commission register as St Cyprian’s Fellowship Parent Teacher Association, charity number 1217936 (Register of Charities).
“In a relatively short period, we’ve been fortunate to achieve a great deal,” the Fellowship said.
Where the first £3,670 came from
The Fellowship published its 2025/26 statement of accounts after its annual general meeting on 29 September (statement of accounts). Its income was £3,670.80, all unrestricted:
- Alpha Bank sponsorship: £1,500
- sales: £1,349
- mufti days: £701
- Summer Fair stalls: £101
- Easyfundraising: £19
It spent £994.13. That was £604.94 on fundraising, £212.97 on office and admin costs and £176.22 on Sports Day medals. It had a cash balance of £2,676.67, with £171 due for its Parentkind membership.
The Alpha Bank money came through the Summer Fair. “Our successful Summer Fair brought together families, businesses and community organisations, with generous sponsorship from Alpha Bank helping make the event possible,” the Fellowship said.
The AGM minutes say the committee wants future events built around things for children to do, not stalls selling products (AGM minutes). Teachers can now ask for Fellowship money through a funding request form. None had come in by the meeting. The committee backed keeping about a fifth of its funds in reserve.
Visitors brought into the school
Much of the Fellowship’s work so far has been bringing people in to meet the pupils.
Professor Kypros Nicolaides, the fetal medicine specialist, visited in June and spoke to Years 4, 5 and 6. The Fellowship described him as someone who “has spent his career advancing the care of mothers and unborn babies around the world” (Fellowship news).
“As the UK’s only Greek Orthodox state primary school, we believe it is important for our pupils to meet people who can inspire them to think ambitiously about their own futures while also celebrating the achievements of the wider Greek and Cypriot community,” it said.
Coming up this term:
- Zoe Antoniades, author of the Cally & Jimmy books, meets pupils in an online assembly today, 21 October. She visits in person on Monday 9 November. The Fellowship’s minutes put the cost of her half-day visit at £150, “significantly discounted from the author’s usual fee”.
- The Christoforos Charity Foundation gives a free 45-minute online safety presentation on Tuesday 10 November at 2pm. It is for Year 6 pupils, and their parents or carers must attend with them. It covers social media, online gaming, strangers online, grooming and making safer choices.
The Foundation “carries out vital work raising awareness of online safety and educating young people about the dangers they may encounter in today’s digital world,” the Fellowship said.
The Fellowship has also been building links with authors, publishers and local businesses. It says it has had “a recent offer of children’s books from Walker Books”. The Cypriot football club APOEL has offered a centenary shirt to help with fundraising.
What they are raising money for next
The Fellowship says it is fundraising for “several important improvements”, including:
- a new school library
- better sensory and wellbeing facilities, “particularly benefiting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities”
“Above all, we’d love more families across Croydon and South London to discover what makes St Cyprian’s such a special school,” it said.
How to go to the Christmas fair or help
The Winter Wonderland Christmas Fair is on Friday 4 December at the school on Springfield Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 8DZ. The Fellowship describes it as “an afternoon of festive activities and fundraising”. It has not yet published a start time.
The nearest stations are Thornton Heath and Norbury, and the 250 and 450 buses serve the school, according to its contact page. A Healthy School Street scheme stops cars entering the area around it from 8 to 9.30am and 2 to 4pm on term-time weekdays.
Parents who want to volunteer can email pta@stcyprians.school to join the volunteer WhatsApp group. You do not need to join the committee to help, the Fellowship says. Families thinking about a place can book a personal tour with the headteacher, Andrew McDonald, on 020 8771 5425.
The Fellowship’s news and events are on its website and Instagram.
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