CHILDREN enjoyed a day of outdoor activities and camped out for the night – in the school grounds.

Year 7 students at Hove Park School swapped their usual Valley Campus for the upper school’s Nevill Campus for a day for the first Big Camp.

They spent the day taking part in forest-style activities such as building shelters, wood craft and making fires.

They navigated an obstacle course and had a drumming workshop before having dinner.

The were also able to watch the World Cup quarter-final match between Belgium and Brazil.

Almost 150 of the 260 students who attended the day slept in tents overnight.

The children helped fundraise to pay for the event and the school has met regularly with a small group of parents and carers to plan the day.

Local businesses and supermarkets sponsored or provided food and resources.

Headteacher Jim Roberts said: “The idea behind the Big Camp was to provide all students the opportunity to learn new skills, develop characteristics like team work, resilience and problem solving and give everyone the chance to experience camping overnight. We were determined from the outset that this was to be free for everyone.

“After a long year it is a perfect way for the Year 7 students to end their first year in secondary school having fun with their friends and enjoying some different and challenging activities.”

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, who joined the children for part of the day, said: “I love to see our young people outdoors in the sunshine being healthy and enjoying our city at its best.

“These are the sort of things youngsters look back on later in life and which make great memories.”