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Budding young designers triumph in national design competition
Pupils at St Mary and Joseph’s RC Primary School have been left with smiles painted on their faces after competing with hundreds of schools to win a free makeover to transform their school based on their very own design as part of the Smarter Spaces 2016 Young Designers Competition, powered by Dulux.
Blackburn-based primary school St Mary and Joseph’s came out on top. As part of their submission, pupils said their ‘intervention space’ was in dire need of a makeover because it was “dull” and “boring”, and made them feel “claustrophobic”. The school’s pupils sought the ideas of their peers and teachers to come up with their ‘The Sky is the Limit’ concept – a “calming room which stimulates our imaginations and engages us with our learning.”
The winning entries were shortlisted by Dulux and judged by members of the Smarter Spaces Learner Teacher Council who chose a primary and secondary design to become a reality.
The competition is a key part of the Smarter Spaces campaign which – in partnership with some of the UK’s leading teachers, heads, designers and policymakers – aims to raise awareness of the positive impact that well designed classrooms can have on learning, and support schools across the country to make the change – be it through small tweaks or major overhauls.
Speaking about winning this year’s 2016 Young Designers Competition, Simone Abby, Assistant Headteacher at St Mary and Joseph’s RC Primary School, said: “The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Smarter Spaces 2016 Young Designers Competition. They thrived through using their imagination and creativity to design an inspirational room which will provide a new learning environment for all of the school. The pupils, staff, parents and governors were thrilled when they received the fantastic news that through their hard work the pupils will see their ideas become a reality.”
For more details on the Smarter Spaces campaign and the competition, visit www.duluxsmarterspaces.co.uk