Staff, parents and pupils on Portland have been brightening up a school playground with a new lick of paint.
Atlantic Academy have been busy painting the walls of the school on the Maritime House site as part of a project designed to brighten the primary school playground.
Staff used masking tape to create a geometric design the night before work got underway and the following day, staff, children and adult volunteers were divided into seven teams each responsible for one of the chosen paint colours.
The idea had come from the student leadership team within the school who thought the walls were 'boring'.
Year 3 teacher and PTFA liaison, Emma Powell, said: “Our pupils had discussed the buildings and decided the walls were boring.
“They wanted bright, colourful walls that they could help create.
"We are so lucky that Miss Heppell, our principal, has a background in graphic design so she put her designer’s hat on and came up with something really fun and striking.”
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Alongside assistance from the PTFA, which supplied tea and cakes to the workers, Crown Decorating Centres in Weymouth offered to provide the paint for free when they heard about the project.
Emma added: “We are so grateful to everybody at Crown.
“It was so unexpected. I’d gone in ready and willing to pay for the paint but they delivered it for free the next day.
"That kind of generosity and support is very much appreciated.”
The results have gone down extremely well with everyone at the school and there are plans now to paint further walls in the coming weeks.
Emma continued: “We have enough paint to complete at least two more huge walls, and we’re raring to go.
"It was actually a great opportunity to get to chat with parents and students in an informal setting.”
Year 3 pupil Lily Wilkie was enthusiastic about her part in the project and talked about her future aspirations to be an artist.
She said: ''It was so fun.
"I want to be an artist when I grow up and painting is my favourite thing. I love how colourful it makes our playground look now.''
Rhys Phillips, also in Year 3, added: ''Every time I look at it I can think, ‘wow - that was me’.
"I wrote my name in paint under all that green so I am part of this school forever, even when I am a grown up.''
Primary principal, Melissa Heppell was delighted with the transformation said the children 'were right' that the walls were boring and said the school is now a 'much livelier place to be'.
Parent and PTFA volunteer Sam Bradbury, thought the idea has benefited children in a 'positive way' and that it garnered a 'real community spirit'.
Two more days have been planned for Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 22.
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