A brand new £1.3m Business Studies and Computing facility at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form in North Somerset has been designed with help from pupils.
A group of year 9s were given the chance to be directly involved in the state-of-the-art building’s interior design, aided by the Dulux Smarter Spaces initiative, creating a brand new and brilliantly inspiring educational environment.
The completion of the school’s business and computing suite is only the first of a two phase £5.2m revamp. Bringing brand new facilities for pupils, the project has enabled Churchill Academy to envisage a school ‘fit for students of the future’, according to headteacher Chris Hildrew.
Dulux oversaw the internal decoration process of the purpose-built space from conception to completion, which created an additional seven classrooms and three offices. Pupils at the school experienced a bespoke colour training session, which included lessons about the colour wheel, relationships between colours and how colour schemes are created. Drawing upon pupils’ knowledge of the school building and its setting, Dulux Trade’s project lead Yusuf Alharrari and Colour Advisor Colin McDermid developed schemes that would bring the school’s identity to life.
Two colour schemes were developed and voted upon by the pupils at Churchill Academy, with the scheme labelled ‘bright and exciting’ coming out on top. Involving the students in the design process enabled a greater sense of connection between the pupils and their learning environment and also allowed them to mark their legacy on the school, according to Mr Hildrew.
Each classroom was decorated with a bright and colourful teaching wall to direct the attention of the students to the front of the room. Additional colours were chosen to complement the scheme, with Dulux Trade products specified for their ease of maintenance.
Upon completion of the project with Dulux Smarter Spaces, the school even received a visit from Lewis the famous Dulux dog! Yusuf Alharrari remarked: “Pupils were involved in the project from start to finish, understanding the entire process before selecting the colour palette for each room. This made the project especially unique since the pupils contributed to every level of the design process.”
Headteacher Chris concluded: “I’m really thrilled with the end product; it’s spacious, modern and everything we had hoped for. We’re looking forward to phases two, which will see a brand new science and technology building with 12 labs and 2 catering kitchens for our students.”
Dulux works with schools across the country to design learning spaces that are not only inspiring and stimulating, but also meet the needs of the busy school environment. Dulux Smarter Spaces decoration and design packages are tailored to a school’s needs, offering services to suit every budget. Promoting the concept of learner-led design, the initiative was established to help schools thrive based on the belief that a colourful and vibrant space can help inspire teachers and pupils alike. From creating an oasis of calm to building engaging classroom displays or focus walls, simple additions to learning environments can make a big difference to learning outcomes.
However big the project proposal, Dulux Smarter Spaces encourages schools nationwide to open a free Schools Account at their local Dulux Decorator Centre, which offers benefits including discounts on the best decorating products, free same-day delivery, helpful advice and support from Dulux's in-store experts. A second account can also be opened and used by friends and family of the school can use.