Festival fever hit north Norfolk at the weekend, when Sheringham special needs school Woodfields hosted its own music event featuring local bands and art activities ranging from kite-making to face painting.

Eastern Daily Press: Singer songwriter Jack Daniel performing at Sheringham Woodfields W Festival. Photo: Karen Bethell.Singer songwriter Jack Daniel performing at Sheringham Woodfields W Festival. Photo: Karen Bethell. (Image: Archant)

Now in its second year, the W Festival was the idea of a group of staff members who wanted to run a community event, at the same time as raising cash towards a £38,000 scheme to replace worn out sensory room equipment.

Eastern Daily Press: Six-year-old Woodfields pupil Lily Ocean Deller-Morris having fun on the bouncy castle with mum Janice. Photo: Karen Bethell.Six-year-old Woodfields pupil Lily Ocean Deller-Morris having fun on the bouncy castle with mum Janice. Photo: Karen Bethell. (Image: Archant)

Around £18,000 has already been raised towards the project and it is hoped that the school will have met its target and be ready to start work on a new, state-of-the-art sensory room by the end of the year.

Woodfields business manager Matthew Smith said that, since it opened 10 years ago, the school, which caters for up to 90 children aged from three to 18, had evolved, with staff now teaching youngsters with a more diverse and complex range of needs.

'We have increasingly become a school that teaches outside the classroom – whether that is hydrotherapy or outdoors - and to have a new sensory room would give us our dream solution,' he added.

Saturday's event, which was organised by teachers Lucy Cass and Wade Leader and teaching assistant Terry Conquest, built on the success of last year's festival with more art activities for children, a licensed bar, a fish and chip van and a guest appearance from north Norfolk Captain Jack Sparrow look-alike Matt Price.

A local line-up included singer songwriter Jack Daniel and covers bands Soul Trader and Catch 22, with festival-goers also invited to make their own music on a 'secret stage'.

Mrs Cass said the festival was also aimed at getting local families to use the school facilities.