A team of specialist interior designers arrived at St John Fisher High School in Harrogate on Friday 14th January to meet Year 7 and 8 national competition winners and measure up for the school’s £10,000 canteen make-over. The school was one of just five schools throughout the UK to win the ‘Canteen Rescue’, a celebrity-driven, national competition to help schools provide environments that encourage healthy eating.
Salford-based Capita Symonds held a workshop at the school, to discuss options in a range of exciting visuals based on the Year 7 and 8 School Council’s winning design to bring the great outdoors into the dining hall. The practicalities and design principles included students’ art galleries, photographs of local scenes, a funky grass-look floor, blue skies, mirrors, picnic tables, planting, spruced-up paintwork, new furnishings and a brand new canteen name.
Bringing outdoors in
“Our food is getting better and better,” says Paul Jackson, Head Teacher. “The menus are great but the canteen environment for Years 7-11 is dark and tired compared to our wonderful sixth form dining hall, which is light, airy and very modern. Our students want to eat in an environment that they can be comfortable in, and be proud of. Their campaign to win the competition was a tremendous achievement. We are thrilled to have won the make-over and we are all looking forward to seeing a significant improvement in our dining experience.”
The schools project management team includes Year 7 and 8 pupils, Head Teacher Paul Jackson, Assistant Head Teacher Jo Dommett, Head of Year 8 Andy Johnson, Catering Manager Claire Gorman and Facilities Manager Carl Kenworthy) To see a video on St John Fisher’s winning entry on the Canteen Rescue website, visit http://canteenrescue.getreal.uk.com/winners
photo/story by www.sirastudio.com
Fantastic achievement by the students and great news for the school – well done!