Pakefield Primary School in Lowestoft finished the school year by organising its very own festival, ‘Pakefest’, offering a week of creativity and fun for all year groups. 

The schoo is striving to include a more enriching curriculum to inspire pupils to develop their creativity.

As part of their efforts, the school put together its own art and music festival called ‘Pakefest’, where pupils spent the week participating in a range of activities including African drumming and lino printing workshops as well as yoga and pilates lessons.

Each year group was also given the opportunity to work together to record a song by a famous musician which was then used to create a CD for parents to listen to. The list of musicians included a diverse group of different cultures and styles of music such as John Lennon, Aretha Franklin and Dolly Parton for the pupils to explore and celebrate with the rest of the school.

Pupils at the school loved the experience and access to wider learning opportunities, with Haydn in Year 4 saying: “I absolutely loved festival week! I learned so much like African Drumming. I also learned new songs and even started a band. I am so grateful for Mr Leigh who set this all up. He even got a singer and ice pops at the end. Delish!”

 

Charlie, a Pakefield pupil in Year 4, said: “Festival week was really fun, getting together as a school and I learned that I should never give up when learning something new. I enjoyed doing African Drumming.”

 

The festival also included performances from pupils to demonstrate their talents and the day was made extra exciting when the school was joined by local singer, Isabella Rodrigues who put on a entertaining show for the pupils.

Martyn Payne, Headteacher at Pakefield Primary School, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of Pakefest which has demonstrated the importance of arts and how it can fuel pupils' imagination, improve their wellbeing and provide them with the confidence to express themselves.

“At Pakefield we recognise our pupil's passions and talents and hope to inspire them to follow their dreams. It was fantastic to see the enjoyment of each year group as they discovered newfound interests. I’m extremely proud of the hard work and enthusiasm that was commented on by all who visited the school this week.

“A huge thank you to all our staff for helping to organise the event and making Pakefest such a huge success. The pupils loved challenging their creativity and we have received some great feedback from parents about the engaging activities. The event represents everything that Pakefield stands for and will be a truly memorable experience for both pupils and staff.”