Fountains pupils get creative at BSDC

Pupils from Fountains High School in Stretton have recently had the opportunity to think outside the box on a range of creative projects.

The group of 13 pupils have taken part in a seven week creative project at the College where they have had the opportunity to learn a range of skills, including textiles, weaving, collage, printing and sgraffito.

The group were given the theme of form and foliage, and were asked to create a series of designs using different techniques. They then used their designs to make transfers that they used to create printed t-shirts to showcase their design work.

In their final session, Hair and Media Makeup students visited the class to provide body art designs based on the theme. The pupils then went into the College’s photography studio for a group photo shoot.

Fountains High School is a special school which caters for children aged from 11 to 19 with a wide variety of needs and disabilities. Pupils are taking part in a bridging year at the College which will give them the opportunity to experience taster classes in a variety of curriculum areas, including creative, performing arts, fashion, construction and motor vehicle.

The partnership aims to provide a long-term progression route for key stage 5 learners, helping them transition from school to specialised vocational areas.

Louise Burke from Fountains High School said: “It’s been a brilliant experience for our learners. They have had the chance to do so many different things and use techniques and resources they’ve never had access to before. These taster sessions are important for our learners as it gives them confidence to learn new skills in a new environment. It also gives them the chance to get used to the facilities at the College so when they leave school, they will be ready for their next steps.” 

Kiran Padam-Moorley, Creative Lecturer at Burton and South Derbyshire College said: “The taster sessions are a great opportunity for young people from Fountains High School to gain an overview of a broad variety of vocational areas. The group have come up with some fantastic ideas and have been full of enthusiasm to gain new skills. Not only will this experience help them decide which areas they are interested in pursuing, but it will also help them with their transition from a school to college environment in the future.”