There’s a passage in Horrid Henry – one of a series of best-selling books by Francesca Simon – where our hero Henry, miffed about his one-line role as inn keeper in the school nativity play, decides to upstage other cast members.
When Joseph knocks on the door and asks: “Is there any room at the inn?”, Henry declares “Yes, we’ve TVs and beds and computers!” and drags Joseph and Mary inside.
It’s a line that makes young readers laugh and primary school teachers groan because we’ve all experienced similar disasters at the Christmas drama.
From the Baby Jesus doll falling out of his manger to the wise men having a tug-of-war over who gets to carry the gold, the opportunities for disaster are endless.
But the real challenge comes long before the show opens, when someone has to decide how to find a part for every single child of nursery age and upwards.
“We pack the stage with shepherds, have many stars and we’ve even had a few palm trees in the past,” says Anne Clark, a primary school teacher in Glasgow.
“No matter how much time you spend teaching the little ones carols, the moment the curtain goes up they forget everything and start waving to their parents,” says nursery teacher, Katie Donaldson from Falkirk.
Yet taking part in a nativity play isn’t just a rite of passage for young pupils, it’s also a huge achievement for the teachers who put so much time and effort into the annual show.
“I think there would be a riot among parents if we didn’t have one,” says head teacher Clare Fox.
“We don’t just stick to the same script, we always have a theme. Last year it was Strictly Come Dancing – which doesn’t mean the religious message was ignored, simply that we included a few dance routines as well. And having a panel of judges allowed us to squeeze in a few more speaking parts.”
Be warned, if you’re successful in landing any of the primary school vacancies that appear regularly on s1jobs, you’ll be expected to get involved. And for all the tears, tantrums and hair-pulling (and that’s just in the staff room) why wouldn’t you want to take part?
It’s the one part of the festive season that’s managed to avoid materialism and somehow, from among the camels and sheep, sweating it out in woolly costumes, a real sense of Christmas emerges.
For all the latest vacancies in Education visit s1jobs