A TROWBRIDGE head teacher was roped into a charity ‘brave the shave’ after pledging to join the fun if pupils raised £500.

Rob Price, head teacher at the Clarendon Academy, and assistant head David Cade, held hands to give each other moral support during the trim.

They joined Year 11 pupils Steven Johnson, 16, and his friends, Ed Low, 15, and Kye Penny, 15, in having their hair shaved off to raise cash for Cancer Research.

Mr Price, 41, said: “I said that if they raised £500 I would do it with them.

“It was not one of my best decisions but raising funds for Cancer Research is a good cause.”

So far, the pupils have raised £650 after smashing through their £500 target, with more donations coming from the head shave.

Pupils watching the event were asked to contribute 20p each to see their friends achieve their new bald look.

Mr Cade, 47, joined in the fun at the 11th hour to give his moral support to Mr Price and the pupils.

“It was a spur of the moment decision,” he admitted after the head shave in the school’s main hall on Thursday March 12.

The challenge was launched by Steven, a Year 11 pupil and prefect at the school in Frome Road.

He decided to have his hair shaved off to raise funds for Cancer Research after his granddad Maurice Kimber, 71, died from cancer a month ago.

He said: “I did it in memory of my granddad who was very ill before he died four weeks ago.

“I have previously had my hair shaved off three years ago to raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

“Kye and Ed are my best friends and they decided to help me.”

Mr Kimber was nursed by staff at the Dorothy House Hospice at Winsley in the last few days before he died.

Wielding the electric trimmers were Kye’s father, Martyn Penny, 46, and Sam Goozee, 43, from the Golden Angel hairdressing salon in Castle Place market.

She said: “They put out an appeal for someone to cut the hair and I thought I’d give it a go.”

Steven, of Avonvale Road, Trowbridge, was also given moral support from Emily Rogers, 16, a close friend.

Looking on were his grandparents, Dennis and Maureen Johnson, from Westbury, and mum, Marie Johnson.

Scores of Year 11 pupils at the school packed into the main hall to watch the fun unfold and filmed it using mobile phones and cameras.

Some even joined in: Jaden Ephgrave, started off the trim on Steven’s head, before Mike Penny took over.

Afterwards, the five could be seen rubbing their heads and wishing they had more hair to cover it.

Steven said: “It’s alright, just a breezy,” while Kye said: “It’s a bit cold”, and Ed added: “I just won’t look in the mirror.”

Mr Price said: “We’d like to do more of these charity events. This was the most extreme thing we have ever done so far.”

On Friday, the school is staging a staff v students basketball match at lunchtime.

Three pupils – Luke Love, Rebecca Gray and Adeline Zandere - will be raising cash on behalf of their friend Jack Watkinson, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphona before Christmas.

PE teacher Sam Worsfold said: “They have worked tirelessly throughout the last month making sure that everything is planned thoroughly to ensure that it is a success.

“The students are also holding a bake/sweet sale to try and raise further funds.

“All of the Clarendon community are getting involved, as some of the teachers have offered up their culinary skills by making some sensational-looking cakes for the students to devour.”

On Sunday, Mr Price and Mr Cade, plus deputy head Owen Vince, and the school’s former head teacher John Berry, are due to run the Bath Half Marathon to raise funds for Dorothy House Hospice.