“Instead of giving pupils a book about rocks, we wanted them to see and feel rocks.” - teacher

THE EVERY TYPE OF ROCK GARDEN

… so we created a rock garden. The Year 10 boys met with sculptor Lorna Green then spent two and half days digging the area, they moved barrows upon barrows of earth, even coming in at the weekend to complete the work, gaining part of the Citizenship GSCE in the process! Now we have every type of rock and, round the site, boys from Years 7 & 8 have planted a bed for each season. The garden was only the start. Our art technician Barry Skillin suggested we ran an after school animation class to explore rock formation. The boys turned up thinking we meant films about rock bands! Fifteen weeks later our first animations were on the big screen at the Cornerhouse, the small screen of their website and here [LINK] We have gone on to look at rock textures with digital artist Howard Fisher and develop rock pictures with photographer Daniel Wood.

“There is a much greater sense of ownership and control over the NOF work compared to school work. One boy who did not speak for an entire year in my art class, chatted constantly, coming up with ideas and suggestions, so I would say for some young people having control over their own work is a real liberating factor.” - teacher

“The project has allowed the Art and Science Departments to work closer together, we converse more, and the Maths Department are particularly interested in working with the animation club.” - teacher