PUPILS, parents and staff at a Wee County school have come together in a virtual party to celebrate its 60th birthday amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Banchory Primary and Nursery in Tullibody hit the milestone last week and while Covid-19 meant the original plans to mark the occasion have gone up in smoke, the school community still found ways to celebrate together.

Showing just how much teachers are missing children from classrooms, the names of all current 222 pupils have been put on ribbons and tied to the fence on the street front.

Pupil Lucy O'Mailley, eight from P3, came across the ribbons when out shopping for necessities with her mother Lynsey and was delighted to find her name among them.

And to show just how much the children are missing staff too, the duo decided to create a huge Happy 60th Birthday banner, tied it to the fence and added the names of all the staff.

Many others have also added their own messages.

Debra Laird, headteacher, said: "We were a bit disappointed because we had lots of great things planned with the community with each class taking a decade to focus on.

"But we still wanted to mark it in a special way and we also just wanted to show the boys and girls that we miss them and we are thinking about them.

"It was really important that every single child was marked on the ribbons.

"It just shows our family values at Banchory."

The headteacher added that she was delighted to see the banner, adding: "It was so thoughtful."

Original plans were to invite past pupils and staff, the wider community, councillors and much more to mark the milestone together.

That could not go ahead due to the pandemic, but learning activities for the school last week were centred around birthdays.

Last Friday, the children enjoyed listening to a playlist of music together and dancing away in living rooms.

The staff also created videos for the children, blowing out candles on birthday cakes and spreading messages of positivity.

Lynsey, who chairs the parent council at the school, said: "It's just a way of saying thanks back to the teachers as well.

"They've been so good, the teachers, over this whole pandemic, checking in, making sure the health and wellbeing of the children [is looked after]."

She also praised teachers for checking on parents, whether they are coping and for trying not to put too much pressure on them.

Lynsey added: "The school, in my opinion, have done so well, all the teachers have all been behind everybody and been keeping everybody's spirits up."