There was plenty to sing about when a Derby specialist school transformed its grounds into a festival setting to celebrate its community and showcase the talents of its students.
Named ‘MartinFest’, the event at St Martins School in Alvaston—a specialist SEND provision supporting children with a range of additional needs—brought together students, families, staff and other specialist provisions from across the city for a day of performances, activities and celebrations.
The event had its own identity, with a logo designed by a year ten student which incorporated the school’s much-loved therapy dog, Martin.
Year nine student Frazer Jenkins was among those who took to the stage, performing a solo guitar piece after teaching himself at home alongside weekly lessons in school over the last five months.
He said: “It was very exciting getting up on stage in front of so many people but it was amazing.
“I aspire to be a guitarist so this was my first step and now I feel ready to do more events like this, even bigger ones.
“The whole festival was amazing but my favourite bit of the day was seeing my friends’ reaction to my performance, it made me feel so good.”
Members of Frazer’s family watched the performance proudly, including dad Jamie Cook.
He said: “To see him thriving like that on stage and really enjoying himself filled me with so much pride.
“Frazer has faced a lot of challenges, especially the transition from primary to secondary school, but the staff here have been amazing with him.
“He has gone from a really shy boy to standing on stage and performing like that in front of a lot of people. All the teachers have a lot of time for him and that is evident in the change in him.”
The event welcomed other specialist schools and provisions from across the area, with students from schools including St Andrews School also taking to the stage to showcase their talents.
Alongside the performances, the festival featured a range of activities for students and families to enjoy, including workshops, stalls, face painting, caricature drawings and interactive sessions. Food vendors were also in attendance, with special offers available for students eligible for pupil premium funding to help ensure the event remained accessible for all families.
A dedicated regulation zone was also created by the school’s mental health champions, offering calming activities and a quiet space for those who needed a break from the excitement.
Headteacher Toni Beadmore said the festival reflected the school’s vision of helping students to “shape successful futures” by providing opportunities without limits.
She said: “Our school vision is shaping successful futures and we wanted today to be about that.
“Martin Fest is about empowering aspirations whilst promoting our vision and values. We wanted to create an event that has no ceilings for our students and give them the opportunity to enjoy a festival that feels safe for them.
“We have had teachers in tears today after seeing some of our students, who face big challenges within school, up on stage performing and enjoying themselves and living to their full potential.
“This is our first year making the festival available to the families of our students, but we want to build on this and expand Martin Fest into a wider network involving specialist SEND provisions across Derbyshire.”
The festival was made possible through the support of staff, families and the wider community, with this year’s event also benefiting from funding provided by the schools trust and a successful bid for corporate funding. Funds raised on the day will be placed into a dedicated fund to support next year’s event.
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