Arundel pupils bring dress-up day to life

Pupils and staff across the whole school, in Jarvis Road, dressed as characters from the books of Roald Dahl. It was all part of the Dahlicious Dress-up Day, which is celebrating its fourth year. Hundreds of schools and workplaces from across the country got involved, with last week being the first time Arundel had joined in. And pupils’ imaginations were sent phizz-whizzing into overdrive for the day, that was supporting Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, which helps seriously ill children and young people in the UK. Six-year-old Morgan Lee, of Butterfly Class, came dressed from head-to-toe as an Oompa Loompa, complete with a green mop hair, orange skin and brown and white clothes. Morgan, who was joined by friend Max Williams, six, as Willy Wonka, said: “It’s been really fun. It was raining but I used a big umbrella to stop my make-up from washing away.” Oscar Fryer, six, made fellow pupils envious of his home-made Enormous Crocodile costume, complete with green clothes and green cardboard mask and spines. While in reception class, four-year-old Mackenzie Ford came dressed all in purple and blue as an inflated, gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Staff, too, revelled in joining the children, coming to school in their own wacky outfits with many favouring to transform themselves into Oompa Loompas. However, Year-two teacher and the school’s English co-ordinator, Heidi Simpson, came dressed as Fantastic Mr Fox, complete with a tail and some foxy ears. She said: “It’s been a really lovely day. The children have been delightful and have behaved really well. “The standard of costumes have been brilliant, too. I especially like the Twits. “Children all came in with beards and different things in them which was amazing.” The school expects to raise more than £200 from the day. Mrs Simpson added that she hoped they would be taking part in the Dahlicious Dress-up Day again next year. The dress-up day took place earlier this month.