HOLMES CHAPEL PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS KEEP ON TRACK WITH A HEALTHY SNACK!

Since the start of the spring term, renowned Cheshire Artist Patricia Lee has been running a lunch time Art Club with 34 pupils from years 5 and 6 at Holmes Chapel Primary School helping them create a mosaic mural to promote healthy eating in school.

Together they designed a large mosaic mural (1.7m x 1.2m) to go on display in the school hall, which is also used as the children’s canteen.

Creating the mosaic was a voluntary project for which the children turned up consistently and worked with enthusiasm…they were all very proud of their work as they watched the mural come together.

“I have to say I’m incredibly proud of them all and maybe just a little more excited at this unveiling than they are! … but that’s just because this is what excites me and I know they have been blown away by what they’ve created.” Patricia Lee, Artist.

HCPS has also recently achieved National Healthy School Status meaning that the school has been recognized for all its work to promote the links between good health, behaviour and achievement - giving children the skills and knowledge to make informed health and life choices in order to reach their full potential.  

"The Healthy Eating art project has enabled us to be creative in our approach to encouraging healthy lifestyles and has benefited our children enormously."

Phil Rowbotham, Head Teacher, Holmes Chapel Primary School

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Background to the Healthy Eating Mosaic Mural
The children were asked to come up with an eye-catching design that would promote healthy eating throughout the school. From the children’s ideas they agreed on one that had a very strong visual and verbal message. The slogan ‘Keep on track with a healthy snack’ was used on a design showing a variety of fruit and vegetables competing on a running track. In fact, the standard of ideas was so high that a second design – a patchwork ‘fruit and veg patch’ – was chosen to be made into a patchwork wall-hanging using textiles with another art group.

As well as developing the children’s independent creative thinking skills, the communal art project has also taught the children many new practical and social skills including:

*  Concentration, patience and perseverance making a mosaic of this size takes lots!
*  Self motivation – the project is voluntary
*  How to make an impact and get a message across using visual imagery
*  That creativity and art are valid and useful skills – not just something for fun or that those who are not good at ‘real’ school subjects do
*  Teamwork – this is a huge project that would seem quite daunting to one person or a small group
*  How to use professional mosaic glass cutters safely and understand the idea of creating the image in reverse in order to achieve the finished result.
*  working together, in pairs and groups, recognising their own strengths and the benefits of co-working (some children found the tile cutting difficult so teamed up with someone who was good at it)

The children also kept a journal throughout to record the project, which they have completed in their own time.

About the Artist
Patricia Lee is based out of a studio in Holmes Chapel Cheshire and has an art gallery at Hills Garden Centre, Allostock.  From her Salford roots, she went on to study Graphic Design in Blackpool and more recently, gained a First Class Honours Degree in Design and Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University.  Patricia creates unique and beautiful, indoor and outdoor artworks using glass and complimentary materials. She also works in schools and on projects across the North West as a community artist and is available for commission work.

PHOTO CAPTION 1
Since the start of the spring term, renowned Cheshire Artist Patricia Lee has been running a lunch time Art Club with 34 pupils from years 5 and 6 at Holmes Chapel Primary School helping them create a mosaic mural to promote healthy eating in school.

PHOTO CAPTION 2   
Kath Lees (Healthy Schools Consultant, Cheshire Shared Services Children & Families Team) presents Head Teacher Phil Rowbotham and Jill Booth with a Healthy Schools Award for Holmes Chapel Primary.

PHOTO CAPTION 3
Art Club pupils Eva Pickup, Adam Rowley, Nicholas Heath and Eloise Collins with Artist Patricia Lee and Healthy Schools Consultant Kath Lees

Photographs courtesy of Nigel Player Photography