FOR many parents, the highlight of the school year is watching the Christmas nativity play.

But for one group of parents whose children attend Terrace Road Primary School, in Mount Pleasant, Swansea, they had the chance sit through it all again — because the show was so outstanding.

One of the pupils' grandparents was so impressed that he invited the children to perform the entire show at the Lifepoint Church in Uplands.

Ray Thomas, one of the leaders of the church, whose grandson Sam Maguire, goes to the school, said: "My wife Jean went along to the first performance and she said it was the best nativity play she has ever seen," he said.

"We have been trying to reach out to the community more and more and I said: 'Well, let's try and see if they would like to do it again here'.

"It was excellent, it was the message of the gospel broken down, it was the traditional story with modern songs. The church was full, there was about 150 people there, they were standing at the back."

As well the performance, there was face painting and a bouncy castle for the children to enjoy.

The school's head teacher, Alison Evans, said it was a fantastic event which brought the community together.

"All the children wanted to do it again and we felt it was a lovely thing to do for the community," she said.

"There was also many members of the community there as well.

"We were just so pleased to be invited and the church was so welcoming.

"All the children loved it too, they kept using the word awesome to describe it, it was fantastic."

robert.goodman@swwmedia.co.uk