WYEDEAN students participated in their annual sponsored ‘Sleep Out’ challenge on July 16.

On a surprisingly cold summer night they donned their warm clothes, constructed their shelters and settled down for a night’s sleep outside the school sixth form building near Chepstow.

The event served to highlight the issue of homelessness and raised over £500 for the homeless charity, Shelter.

Daniel-Ross McNeil, a student at Wyedean, said: "Just sleeping outside for one night has given me a tiny glimpse of what it must be like for a homeless person. It was tougher than I thought.”

A school spokeswoman said: "Sleeping rough is always a challenge, even in July. Well done to Year 13 to give up their time and their beds for a worthy cause."