Year 7 were well-prepared for the challenge of sleeping overnight on the Junior School Playground and arrived for school on Friday morning with their kit and some very ambitious cardboard box constructions. A real highlight of the evening was seeing the pupils setting up their boxes on the playground. We were very impressed by their creative efforts, which included a cardboard dome, a car and an impressive fort! 

Excitement was high throughout the evening, as Year 7 completed a carousel of challenges and activities, including dodgeball, football, a campfire, a quiz, kwik cricket and, for the first time at the Sleep Out, a LEGO-building challenge.  

A Chapel Service at 10.45pm offered an opportunity for pupils to pause and reflect on the cause and the charity that our Sleep Out supports. We were fortunate to have visiting speakers from Helping Hands who spoke to Year 7 about homelessness and the work that they do to support those in need in the local community. After the talk, Year 7 were given time to ask questions about the charity and our speakers commented on their thoughtfulness and engagement in the issues raised.  

Soup was served by Mr Barker at 11.30pm before the pupils got settled into their boxes for the challenge of a night sleeping out.  

Luckily, clear skies meant that Year 7 had a dry (if chilly) night out, with some of them even sleeping through sunrise, to our amazement! They went home in great spirits after breakfast and the deconstruction of their cardboard creations.  

Many thanks to the pupils who participated in the 2022 Sleep Out. Thanks too to the staff who supervised it and ran fantastic activities; to the Foundation Estates team for their help, and to the Foundation Catering team, who generously provided superb food for the pupils, with snacks, fantastic meals and of course, late night soup. We are hoping that the event will have raised over £2,500 for Helping Hands Community Project.