Pupils Christmas Shopping market

Pupils had the chance to do their Christmas shopping at our Christmas Market organised by the Post-16 classes and the Friends of Bedelsford School.

There was a huge array of presents to choose from with tables groaning under the weight of potential gifts that had all been donated by families and the local community. Pupils brought in their money and tags to go on the presents. They carefully chose gifts for brothers and sisters, mums and dads and other family members from the selection of goods on offer.

Staff helped with the choices and Sixth Form students and parents manned the wrapping station so everyone could take home their gifts to go straight under the tree. The children were clearly delighted with their purchases, and we hope they will be able to keep their gifts a secret until the big day!

For many of our pupils a trip to the shops to do their Christmas shopping is a major endeavour and so holding the Christmas Market in school is a lovely opportunity for them to have a little independence and buy gifts for their families. It also enables our pupils to practice some key skills such as choosing and paying for items as if they are in a real shop. In addition the older students gain valuable Enterprise skills by helping run the stalls, and provide customer service by helping the younger pupils to choose and wrap their gifts.

The event was a huge success, and we are very grateful to everyone who helped with the organisation and being so generous with their donations. The event raised an amazing £626 for the school.