Students transform entrance to Student Services with striking new mural
Here at The Portsmouth Academy, we give our young people a platform to express their creativity for our community to see.
That’s why we’re shining a light on our Art Club, who worked with two local creators to design an eye-catching mural at the entrance to Student Services.
Designed entirely by a team of Year 10 students, the mural features a calming, blue background and has a purposeful ‘flowing’ style, which they specifically requested. Our school motto of ‘Aspire, Achieve, Respect’ is also proudly celebrated on the mural, as well as our house colours.
The mural is a celebration of unity within our school and the team who brought it together, reflected on how much they enjoyed it. Warda was involved in the process and said:
“Painting the mural and meeting new people was amazing; I hope I can do it again!”
There was plenty of positivity from the rest of our students, with Ade loving the opportunity to showcase the mural to their friends, and Orela said it was a ‘fun and beautiful experience’.
The creation was brought to life by mural artists ‘WinnieMay’ and ‘HappyFatty’ who worked with our Art Club team to transform the previously blank space.
Miss R. Preston, Curriculum Lead for Art at The Portsmouth Academy, lead on this project with the students. She expressed her personal pride in how the students used their confidence, creativity and passion for art to create something powerful for our school.
“Leading on this for the students has been a real privilege and they deserve all the credit for transforming the entrance of our Student Services department.
“I see first-hand every day the imagination our students have for creating inspiring pieces of art and it’s wonderful for them to now be able to show their hard work off to their peers.
“I’d also like to extend a special thanks to our supporting artists, without whom this project would simply have not been possible. The students benefited so much from your expertise and guidance and have now built transferable skills they’ll use for life”.
The project reflects our commitment to providing creative experiences to our students, where they can develop the skills they learn outside the classroom. Student voice plays a critical role in this process, helping our young people become active citizens and have a greater understanding of the wider world.
This project was about more than creating some artwork, it was about the transformation of such a key part of our school, which proudly serves our student community.
Mrs S. Dedman, Headteacher at The Portsmouth Academy, reflected on the ‘incredible artistic talent’ of our students and how young people at our school continue to benefit from extra-curricular experiences.
“I am incredibly proud of what our students have created. This mural is about far more than transforming a space; it is about student voice, creativity and belonging.
"At The Portsmouth Academy, we want our young people to know that this is their school and that their ideas matter. Seeing them work together with such confidence and pride is exactly what we mean when we talk about transforming life chances".
Love art and design? Discover how students use creativity to inspire and more at our Open Event on Thursday 1st October 2026, from 6-8pm.
