Teachers and staff at Overton CE Primary School have become unexpected internet stars, even drawing attention from a member of S Club.
In a surprise move to mark the end of the school year, they secretly filmed their own rendition of “Reach” by S Club and uploaded it to TikTok.
The idea for the video came from class teacher James Lingham and features staff from all parts of the school. Since its posting, the video has garnered over 300,000 views.
James, who frequently shares weekly TikTok videos on his account, mr_lingham, often uses these clips as teaching tools for online safety with his class.
“I thought as it was the end of the year, we needed to do something big, and I just rallied all the staff together,” James explained.
“The message of the song itself is very motivating and inspirational for the Year 6s who were leaving. We wanted the children to understand that we are the people who help them reach for the stars.”
The video premiered during a school assembly, where students erupted in excitement. It has since received an overwhelming response online.
“The most crazy thing about it is that Jo O’Meara [from S Club] reposted it, then she followed me and sent me a message about how fun it is – that was a very surreal notification,” James shared.
James, who will be teaching Year 6 again next term, noted that while his videos are usually seen by students, friends, and family, this one has reached a much broader audience.
The 31-year-old is already brainstorming ideas on how to top this video next year.
“The best part is that the staff are all really supportive.
“Nobody takes it too seriously; it’s all about having a good time and making the kids laugh.”
