As part of creative arts week, Year 6 children designed a sculpture to go outside our school. The theme was “We are a ‘telling’ school”, which is part of our anti-bullying policy. We say to children that they all have to think of five people they can tell if someone is bullying them.
Local artist Jacqueline Harrison came in to work with the children for a day. She discussed with them what they might like to do and they told her about the five people. It was decided that each child would make a small model out of papier mache. The following week Jacqueline made a life-size sculpture of five people holding hands in a circle out of wire mesh covered with fibreglass, which she then painted. It stands outside the school and is the first thing you see. Student teachers Jude Lennon on my right and Rochelle Lissack on my left in the bottom picture, really got involved.
Michelle Melvin teaches at Grove Primary School, Romford, London borough of Redbridge