CHILDREN, parents and staff at Brookham Pre-Prep and Nursery in Liphook celebrated the school’s 25th anniversary with a surprise display from the Red Devils Parachute Regiment Freefall Team.

The Red Devils is the official parachute display team of both the Parachute Regiment and the British Army.

This surprise treat was arranged by headteacher Sophie Baber.

The morning began with the children performing a celebratory concert to their parents in a marquee in the school grounds.

Everyone then went outside, where they were joined by Highfield students, and looked skywards.

All of a sudden the children began shrieking with delight as eight members of the Red Devils became visible in the cloudy sky above and descended from their plane at 1,700ft to the middle of the field.

Following the display, the team answered some of the questions the children had about the Red Devils. They also presented Julie Thomas, Brookham’s deputy headteacher, with the Brookham flag they had jumped with.

Julie will retire from the school at the end of the summer term after ten years.

Continuing the celebrations, current parents and staff were then joined by former staff and pupils for Brookham’s 25th anniversary party, with the celebrations concluding with the cutting of the forest school-themed cake made by Mirabelle Cupcakery in Wey Hill.

Brookham Prep-Prep opened in the grounds of Highfield School on April 21, 1992. The school has grown from just 18 pupils and one form entry in 1992, to 190 pupils and three form entry, plus a nursery today, with more than 1,200 children aged three to eight years old having being taught at the school over the last 25 years.