First Year EDGE: Sal’s Shoes Collaboration Exhibition

On Tuesday we were delighted to welcome First Year parents and pupils to our first EDGE exhibition to showcase our collaborative project with Sal’s Shoes.  On arrival, visitors were able to interact with our installation of the shoes our pupils have been designing, all laid out to spell the message, ‘Shoes save lives”. 

Each First Year Pupil was given a pair of white plimsols, which they then decorated half of, trying to show themselves and what it is like to walk in their shoes.  These shoes will now be shipped to Ghana to be given to students there, who, with the pens will complete the other half of the shoe to represent their life and we hope to start a dialogue with these children to better understand what it is like to walk in their shoes. 

We were joined by founder of the charity CJ Bowry, and indeed Sal, the inspiration behind Sal’s Shoes and Clemmie, the motivation for Clemmie’s Clothes, who spoke of her enjoyment of the project, her pride in our pupils’ contribution and the importance of young people being actively involved in the work of charities and the need for them to understand and reflect upon the complex problems faced by many across the world.  We heard from Mrs Sam Webster, Assistant Head Teaching and Learning, Mr Kim Wells, Director of Training and Research and Mr Neil Parker, Head of Spanish who spoke about the different strands of EDGE, learning to learn, problem solving & big ideas, oracy and interdisciplinary learning.  We also listened to presentations from pupils who shared their learning journey, their fundraising activities and experience of project management.  Well done to Rio, Elliot, George, Gruffudd, Saanya, Jack, Avi, Rosie, Ella-Jaide, Florence who spoke clearly and with confidence and thanks to all those able to join us.