Pupils in Year 7 recently entered the John Lewis Innovation Challenge and they were thrilled to be ranked in the top 10 out of 200 entries.
The Innovation Challenge is a competition designed to encourage students to work in teams and use their imagination and creativity to answer questions related to issues surrounding sustainability. This year John Lewis’s Sustainability Managers set students the question: How would you reinvent a school blazer to give it a new life?
Having received their reclaimed blazer, Lily and Alexandre thought about different ways to turn the piece of clothing into something new, as well as how the art of reinvention could help to solve the key sustainability issue of waste.
The pair decided to make a doorstop in the style of a house and they began the process by sketching a number of different designs, which they narrowed down to one. They then cut the blazer material against templates, incorporating the blazer pockets, and sewed decorative buttons onto the doorstop. Finally, they blanket stitched the sides together.
Following their efforts and hard work, Lily and Alexandre were delighted to receive the news that their entry had ranked in the top 10 out of 200 entries! The pair were gifted a £100 John Lewis gift card and they will receive a sustainability learning kit in the coming weeks.
Miss Thorne, Design Technology teacher, said, “I am extremely proud of Lily and Alexandre, their hard work during lunchtimes and after school really paid off! Throughout the task, they demonstrated a variety of skills, including problem-solving, teamwork and communication, as well as developing their understanding of the impact their actions can have on the planet. Well done!!”
