It is the second time that pupils from the school's Nursery and Reception classes have performed at the home - on the last occasion they were there to celebrate Harvest Festival.

"Everyone really enjoyed having them here last time so the residents were very excited about seeing them again," said Wendy Kitchen, the home's activity organiser. "Seeing the children dressed up in tinsel was absolutely delightful. The residents love to see the young ones and we do all we can to encourage interaction between them and the elderly".

Residents arrived in droves to hear the singing and congregated by the Christmas tree in the lounge, even spilling out into the corridor and dining area. The children sang an array of Christmas carols, from 'Away in a Manager' to 'Santa got stuck up the chimney', with everyone joining in.

Deputy Nursery Nurse Tracey Kemp said: "The children love to perform and worked really hard to learn the words and actions for the songs. It's great to see that the residents enjoy the children's visits so much and obviously it's a wonderful excuse to dress up for Christmas. Two of the children even had a quick tug of war with the tinsel!'

After bidding their audience a Merry Christmas, the children presented Wendy with a box of biscuits and a handmade Christmas card, with a Nativity scene on the front, which had been signed by the children.

In return, Wendy gave them a big box of sweets on behalf of everyone at Kenwyn.