A much-loved teacher was in mind at Bromstone Primary School when parents, teachers and children tucked into cake for a vital cause

Popular assistant deputy head and Year 6 teacher Andy Moore was the reason for the coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mr Moore, 32, is currently fighting a form of cancer on his lung, and is undergoing chemotherapy.

He and his wife and children are being supported by the charity and they are in the thoughts and hearts of everybody at the Broadstairs School.

Their Macmillan fundraiser was one way they felt they could help.

His friends at school made and donated cakes which were served by PTFA members and Year 6 children. The morning raised £486.

PTFA chairman Kelli Spray said: “Everyone is affected by cancer. When it hit Mr Moore, it brought it home to everyone here, staff, children and parents.”

Head teacher Nigel Utton said Mr Moore had had a nasty cough at Easter, which had got worse. The head had urged him to see a doctor, having himself had pneumonia and being aware of the importance of prompt medical help in such circumstances.

Mr Moore was subsequently found to have had, and was treated for pneumonia. But the cough did not go.

Further medical attention revealed the cancer.

He asked Mr Utton to tell his Year 6 class in the last school year and a decision was made that it was best to do it straight away.

Mr Utton said: “We were all crying that day. To go into a class and tell them ‘your teacher has got cancer’ was so hard. We did a lot of work with his class and they have all been able to support each other.

“We choose a school charity every year and the children decided this year Macmillan was absolutely the one - because of the support being given to Andy, and his wife and children too.”

The success of the coffee morning was founded on the closeknit and caring community of a school where everybody supports each other.”