Pupils at Hawridge and Cholesbury CE Primary School near Chesham are following the star from Buckinghamshire to Bethlehem to raise money for a shepherd's hut to give themselves more room to learn during the coronavirus pandemic.

Led by two virtual woolly sheep mascots, Kith and Kin, students and their families can clock the kilometres they walk or swim between half-term and Christmas as they aim to cover the 3,090 miles (4,973 km) from Hawridge to the Holy Land.

The primary school aims to raise £28,000 to pay for the wooden outdoor building, which is being built by one of the parents and will stand in the grounds of the rural school, enabling teachers and pupils to beat the squeeze.

As well as keeping fit, the walk is a great chance for children to learn about the culture and traditions of each country they walk through.

"Without our usual nativity and carol services this year - and teachers and students stuck in their bubbles at school - this is a way of bringing everyone together for Christmas," said head teacher Rosie Phillips. Our usual fundraising opportunities have been curtailed this year because of the Covid crisis, so this initiative will give a lasting legacy that our children, and future generations, can use and enjoy for years to come.

Follow our progress:

Facebook - @Followingthestar

Twitter - @HandCSchool

Instagram - @hawridgecholesburyschool

Live Map - see where we are along our journey

We started 'following the star' to Bethlehem on 22nd October 2020!

The children carried their special 'following the star' bags and had a skip in their step!

The children absolutely loved taking part in the walk on the stunning school grounds!

All year groups took part and walked in their own socially distanced bubbles!

A gorgeous rainbow appeared, just as we set off on our first walk for this great cause!

Our sheep mascots 'Kith & Kin' arrived to stay with us until Christmas!