The newly trimmed headteacher of Alma Primary, Marc Shoffren, raised over £2,000 for his school in a sponsored Lag ba’Omer haircut.

The minor festival is traditionally a time for the barber with the lifting of the prohibition against shaving during the semi-mourning period of the Omer.

During the week Alma’s reception class first got to colour the head’s hair (see above) and class one to style it in reward for their fundraising efforts.

Then on Friday out came the scissors with year 3, which raised the most overall, offered the first cut.

Mr Shoffren said, “This was an exciting way for our school to raise funds for us and to support Yad b’Yad [a charity for teenagers] in Israel at the same time. The children were really excited to be part of such a creative fundraising event.”

Laura Drage, from the Alma Parents Alliance, said, “As well as raising vital funds for our school, it also helped us lift morale with children, staff and parents all coming together.”

The mother of the pupil who was given the honour of the first snip said, “We weren’t worried about Hannah’s hairdressing skills, our only concern was her jumping for joy with scissors so close to the head teacher. He is a brave man!”