Campsie view School (specials needs provision, East Dunbartonshire) had a pupil of the week notice board that was crying out for a creative revamp. Each week a pupil of the week is chosen for each class and the certificates are displayed here.

I wanted to create something fun and colourful. Something that could moved to the new school once it is built and can grow if the school grows to have more classes. I thought about how all the children are so different and each class has it’s own character. I chatted with the teachers and they liked my idea of creating a cactus garden, they liked the idea that they were all shapes and sizes just like the children.

Through a series of workshops each class designed their own cactus shape and flower. The flower is where the pupil of the week certificate will go. We played with paint, creating different textures using stamps and then used our painted papers to create the design.

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From these designs I planned the mural, first in paper and then cut the shapes from wood.

We then painted and varnished all the cacti and flowers.

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The Cactus garden is finished and ready to be installed after the covid lockdown. I’m looking forward to seeing the first little pictures on the children inside the flowers.