Northampton specialist school to host ‘inaugural’ summer fair to introduce itself to community

A Northampton specialist school is set to host its first summer fair in a bid to introduce itself to the community.

Purple Oaks Academy in Kingsthorpe, which caters for students with learning difficulties, will host a summer fair on Saturday (June 25).

Students have been involved in the organisation and have come up with some of the activities, which include a plant sale.

Northampton College will be in attendance to show students and parents what options there are post-16.

Baljit Dev parent school governor and member of the PTA said: “The school building has been here for four-and-a-half years but if you talk to anyone in the street and they say ‘where does your child go to school?’ when you reply with ‘Purple Oaks’ people don’t know where it is.

“A lot of people don’t know the school exists so that’s one of the reasons we want to host the fair. We want to show people we are here.

“Also half of the children come on transport, so this is a good opportunity to get everyone together all at once, with their parents too.”

The first hour of the fair between 10am and 11am will be ‘autism friendly’, so less busy and not as loud.

From 11am until 1pm, there will be live music and more stall holders made up of local businesses, charities and food and drink open to the general public.

There will be inflatables, face painting, a raffle and more.

Baljit says they are expecting a “big turnout”.