Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy – Scaring Pupils into Having a Good Time!

Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy 

Staff and students at Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy put on a Halloween Fright Night of entertainment for friends, family, and the local community. The event aimed to reduce students screentime, get people outdoors exploring, and enjoy interacting with people through a range of activities run by the #WeWillExplore project. 

Screams and laughter could be heard from the streets as over 400 people made their way through the scare maze, before undertaking spell school, wizards and witches doing science, visiting the haunted graveyard and watching dance routines complete with ghosts. The walking route was lined with over 100 pumpkins carved by students and people from the local community. Staff and Young Enterprise Students had an array of hot dogs, drinks and handmade baked tasty treats to offer to the visiting community.

For weeks students and staff had planned, crafted and designed the Fright Night themed one kilometre walking route. People loved the experience with one student claiming, it was the “best Halloween night EVER!” – while parents took to Facebook and said, “absolutely amazing night. Well done to everyone involved you definitely went above and beyond to make it a great Fright Night”.   

It was a pleasure to see how many pupils were involved and to hear and see their excitement, and pride to be part of the event. Seeing them enjoying fun experiences with friends and family brings the entire project purpose to light. The sense of team spirit and community amongst staff and pupils was uplifting.

 

Sarah Martindale, Regional Enrichment and Social Action Lead

The #WeWillExplore project aims to develop student confidence, boost their resilience and improve their daily exercise and mental well-being. Compared to 50 years ago, young people are spending less and less time outdoors. By the time they reach the age of seven, they will have spent the equivalent of 456 days looking at a screen – an average of four hours a day. Compared to this only 182 days will have been spent the outdoors, which equates to around an hour and half a day. 

We think activities like Fright Night are a valuable opportunity to get young people outdoors, exploring whilst making it fun and interactive.  

The #WeWillExplore project is an Ormiston Academy Trust initiative in partnership which has received funding from the National Lottery. Projects run at Ormiston Ilkeston Academy Trust include Leadership Training, Sherwood Pines Day Trip for 153 Year 8 students, Fright Night, dedicated Orienteering lessons, Geocaching and Festive Lights Trail (December 20^th 2022). OIEA has partnered with Cotmanhay Primary School and Granby Primary School in the delivery of this project to KS2 and KS3 students.