Halley Primary School, Tower Hamlets, London
Sensory Murals
Ring-a-ring o' roses made with key stage 1 pupils
The sensory murals in the newly built inclusive key stage 1 playground
Maud and Catherine worked with all the pupils throughout the school to make murals for the new key stage 1 playground, designed by Fiona MacMillan from Tower Hamlets Capital Works Group. The aim of the new playground is to have it equally accessible for able-bodied and disabled children. The brief for the mural was for it to be subtle in colour and images, to blend with the environment, to be tactile and the sizes and sites to be planned with the architect so that recesses could be built into the curved wall to fit.

We worked with every class in the school. Year 5 and 6 experimented with drawing excercises such as drawing with strict time limits, drawing with their 'wrong' hand, drawing through touch with their eyes closed. They then chose their 5 favourite sensory experiences, one for each sense. Their second workshop was spent making one drawing into a string collage which was used to impress into the clay for the mural.
one pupils favourite sound was of the Koran being read a selection of the pupils favourite sensory experiences a bird and a wave
Years 3 and 4 drew sensory still lives, studying and drawing reflections for sight, musical instruments for sound, fruit and vegetables for taste, textures and fabrics for touch and flowers for smell. In their second workshop these were made into collages to be pressed into clay.
the sound of a shell, the smell of a flower and the feel of a starfish the beauty of a flower glazed starfish
'The children of Year 5 had a wonderfully calm and creative morning. The input enabled the children to create strong linear designs for their clayworks, as well as their imagination. We all look forward to the next stage.' Ben Stone Year 5 teacher
a car and the sun a duck on a marsh Catherine and Suzie grouting
'The children achieved success from the moment they started drawing. During the morning they became more confident and free, their work got bigger and bolder and most developed a good understanding of a still life. A lot of learning happened in my class this morning.' Martin Year 3 teacher
With the key stage one pupils they drew pictures of their experience of playing Ring-a-ring 'o-roses in the playground. We then worked with some pupils on making the relief figures for the mural.
making the flowers for the 'pocket full of posies' discussing the pupils original drawings and how to make the marks in clay the box of 'tools'
Catherine demonstrating using an old toy wheel to make the marks old glue spreader makes good hands!
making the hair close up of the lettering all finished