00:00Hi, I'm digital reporter Amy Seddon and today I'm heading down to Preston College to see how they celebrate the end of the academic year.
00:10Well, as you can see, the sports hall at Preston College has been taken over by huge inflatable games.
00:17This is because the college celebrated the end of the 2024-25 academic year with a new event called Aspirations Week.
00:24Although the first three days were spent doing some official end-of-year sign-offs, Thursday and Friday were dedicated to two full days of fun.
00:33In the sports hall, pupils could play a life-size Hungry Hippos game, take part in a golf dart sport competition or take on a Total Wipeout-esque assault game.
00:43Whilst in the sports hall, I caught one of the pupils, who had just come off the Hungry Hippos game, to ask how they had found the day so far.
00:51How does it feel to have this activity in your college?
00:54It feels very good because it's very exclusive to everyone and everyone will find it fun to fun, no matter what portion of it.
01:03And how have you generally enjoyed the day?
01:06Oh, it's been amazing. We've had an awards ceremony and we've done all of this, so it's been quite a good day.
01:12Why do you think this kind of celebration is important?
01:14It shows equality and diversity and stuff that everyone can do, no matter what age you are, culture you are, you don't want to find something to do in this whole idea.
01:27Also in the sports hall, pupils could play a game of bowling using pins made by some of their own.
01:34Whilst the college's main perception was home to a whole host of fun fair games and a selfie mirror, which proved especially popular with pupils.
01:43Outside, an ice cream truck set up shop on the courtyard and was rarely seen without some ice cream gobbling pupils hanging around it.
01:51The football pitchers were then home to a cross-college football tournament each day and I caught one of the coaches, recruitment manager Dave Elliott, for a chat pitch side.
02:01So today's Aspiration Day and one of the things we wanted to do was students to have a good time to enjoy themselves.
02:08And obviously Aspiration Day is about students celebrating their achievements that they've had this year.
02:14So what we've done is we've organised a cross-college football tournament and we've got teams from sport, engineering and construction.
02:20And they're all having a really good time, they're all enjoying it. And like I say, that's what Aspiration Day should be about.
02:26Aside from the fun, individual assemblies were held for each school, allowing pupils the chance to reflect on the year just gone and be awarded for their successes.
02:36So how have you found your fun day today?
02:39Have a day! Amazing!
02:41Oh, it's been really good, we've had a lot of fun.
02:46I just enjoyed our day.
02:49Very fun.
02:50Yeah, it's very fun. We've been watching a football match. That was interesting and it's fun.
02:56And then there's lots of things in the sports hall and a lot of activities.
03:01Yeah, it's good. A lot of activities.
03:03Yeah, it's good.
03:04Did you try the ice cream?
03:05No way.
03:05No, I missed it.
03:06I need to try that.
03:08It's still open.
03:09Oh, I'm going there.
03:10What we've been doing this week is really to make sure that students leave us in the right way.
03:15I think in the past, we've sometimes felt that the end of the year has fizzled out a little bit.
03:21People have put a lot of effort into the year.
03:23They come along, they do their final exams, they do their final assessments, and then they basically have finished at the college.
03:30And what we wanted to do this year is to make it into much more of an occasion and make sure that they felt there was something really special going on.
03:38So part of that has been about doing some formal sign-offs with our students to make sure that they've completed all the work that they need to do and that we've got everything from them that we need to be able to award their qualifications.
03:52But whilst doing that, let's celebrate with them.
03:55Let's recognise what they've done all year and have a bit of fun.
03:58And that's what really has set this week apart, I think.
