Join us at our Open Day to explore our outstanding Nursery and Reception, explore our fantastic facilities, meet our dedicated Early Years teaching team and ask questions about starting school and how to apply.
We look forward to meeting you!
Darren was welcomed to the academy by pupils, who showed him around the school and presented him with a card and gift to thank him.
Ian was one of those killed in the Nottingham attacks in 2023. As site manager, he took great pride in the school grounds and was a keen supporter of outdoor learning, always happy to help pupils make the most of the spaces around them. His dedication and positive spirit left a lasting impact on the academy’s pupils and staff, and on the wider community.
The money raised will help the academy continue to develop its outdoor learning spaces. Through its Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) programme, the school has transformed its outdoor areas in recent years, giving children the chance to take the lead in their play through activities such as den building, mud kitchens and construction. Darren’s fundraising will create even more opportunities for pupils to explore, create and learn outdoors.
Alongside OPAL, pupils take part in the school’s bespoke Nature School curriculum and grow fruit and vegetables in the school allotment. Ian’s memory is already part of these outdoor spaces, with the Ian Coates Memorial Garden winning first prize in the Young Gardener category at the Nottingham City Best Gardener Awards.
“We are so grateful to Darren for taking on this challenge in Ian’s memory, and our pupils were incredibly proud to show him the outdoor spaces they enjoy every day.
“Outdoor learning has become a real part of who we are at Huntingdon Academy. Through OPAL and our Nature School curriculum, children are growing in confidence, taking the lead in play and developing a real connection with nature. This fundraising will help us create even more of those opportunities, and I am sure Ian would have been very proud.”
