Welland Park Academy in Harborough has put up a spectacular photographic gallery outside the school on the day pupils should have been enjoying their end of school prom

Students at a Market Harborough school won’t be having a ball at their iconic Prom tonight (Friday) – but they are still making one heck of a splash.

The proud 15 and 16-year-olds are loving having their pictures plastered all over the front of Welland Park Academy on busy Welland Park Road.

Now hundreds of amazed families, motorists, passers-by and residents are doing a double take at the spectacular photographic salute to the school’s Year 11 pupils.

The powerful, inspired montage is the brainwave of Nicki Burgess, PA to principal Julie McBrearty, and her colleague Sharlot Pithers.

Nicki’s the chair of the school’s Prom Committee while Sharlot is her vice chair.

“As chair of the Prom Committee I thought we needed to do something for the Class of 2020,” Nicki told the Harborough Mail today.

“I spent last weekend cutting all the photos down, sticking them onto card and then a good few hours this week laminating them.

“I got here to school early at 7 this morning with Sharlot to put this together – and we are delighted with it.

“It’s worked an absolute treat and we are getting some fantastic comments on our school’s Facebook page!”

Nicki said the 1,000-student school’s totemic Prom would have gone ahead tonight.

But it’s obviously been scrapped after falling victim to the shattering nationwide Covid-19 emergency.

“It’s such a shame.

“We are really missing our Class of 2020 Year 11 students.

“They are brilliant young people and we were all so looking forward to our traditional Prom knees-up at the end of the year tonight,” said Nicki.

“The Year 11s have had the most difficult end to a school year that we have ever seen in our lifetimes.

“Tonight should have been their Prom Night – a genuine rite of passage.

“It’s traditionally a last big celebration before they start their summer break and await their GCSE results.

“Instead everything is currently on hold and we are just keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to celebrate with them very soon.

“But at least we have been able to put a lot of smiles on so many faces by putting up their pictures at the front of the school.

“Our incredible students are not here but they are certainly not forgotten – they are very much in our thoughts and hearts.”