Bonner Primary School, Tower Hamlets, London (p1)         [page 2]


**NEWSFLASH!**

Click HERE or on the photo to see online article in East End Life about the launch of this project!

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Photo courtesy of East End Life.
Local Habitats: Our Natural World Mosaic

I am absolutely delighted by the buzz that has been created in our school by the fantastic mural work" Martin Tune, Headteacher told us. "This is really what is meant by a whole school project - it's a real community effort. Maud and her team have been an absolute pleasure to work with."

Lindy Batchelor, Teacher and Art Co-ordinator, said: "What a delight it has been to have been working on a whole school mural project led by Maud Milton. The excitement on the children's faces when they see their drawing coming to life in shiny colourful tiles is worth its weight in gold. It's been a great opportunity to bring in parents and older brother and sisters from the local secondary school. Even reception children have been able to work on tiny clay tiles which they will love finding when the mosaic is in place. It has brought everybody together in a wonderful creative way. We can't wait to see the finished project greeting us everyday as we walk through the school gates."
Artists Jill Tattersall and Maud Milton assisted by Jyotika and Sunita, volunteers and Architect graduates, working on the life-size design, with drawings by pupils enlarged and traced.
Maud and Jill checking the one of the three elipse designs fits the wall it will be sited on in the playground
INSET staff training workshops, 46 members of the staff began the intricate mosaic process, glueing the edges around the main characters in the design. Everything in the designs has ben drawn by pupils at the school.
All Year 4, 6 and most of Year 5 worked on the mosaic mural, in breaks, lunchtime and after-school. Some of Year 1, 2, and 3 also had a go and those that didn't are looking forward to the return of Artyface in February, to complete the project.
Reception pupils made clay tiles that will go into the mosaic. They had fun making textures and patterns and learning how to use recycled junk and pressing in to make impressions in the clay.
We even had the school cooks, a cleaner, the caretaker, lots of parents, one grandmother and a 3 year old sibling help out! Some of the parents and pupils loved it so much they have started their own mosaic projects at home. Another mother came back for three hours everyday and said this is the first opportunity she has had to do something for herself after spending years looking after the family.
"I loved the mural, the Bumble Bee was good. I made the Bumble Bee."
Sakib
Year 3, Bonner Primary School, Tower Hamlets
"We think it has been very much fun and enjoyed working with the younger people in our community. It has been very useful for us because it has brought our artistic side that we never thought existed! We also learned how to contrast colours together, we learned about textures and surfaces as well. Thanks for letting us help, we have enjoyed it very much!!"
Sian Hosford and Sophie Pearson
Year 10, Morpeth Secondary School (working towards their duke of Edinburgh Award)
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