Artwork by pupils of Telford primary school displayed at construction site where new sixth form is being built

Artwork by children who attend Hollinswood Primary School has been displayed on hoardings surrounding the former Addenbrooke House offices at the Station Quarter in Telford town centre.

The former offices are being transformed into a new base for Telford College’s A-Level provision.

Construction company McPhillips, that is delivering the project, invited pupils at Hollinswood Primary School to submit drawings and paintings as part of a competition where they were asked to depict what happens on a typical building site. 

Artwork by the four winners - Jake Jordan-Griffin, Cerys Opoku, Akshaj Prasad and Ava Lord - has been installed on the surrounds of the site, alongside other artwork that children at the school produced.

Art co-ordinator at Hollinswood Primary School, Grace Atkinson said: "We were delighted when McPhillips approached us to take part in the construction artwork competition.

"Addenbrooke House is such a prominent and familiar building to many of our pupils, so we were happy to be involved in its ongoing transformation, while gaining some valuable insight into what life is really like on a construction site."

The new multi-million pound sixth form centre is set to open to students in September next year.

It adds to The Quad that opened in September 2024 and is home to Harper Adams University, a new digital skills hub operated by Telford College and a start-up business hub.

Telford & Wrekin Council said the new sixth form centre will allow Telford College to "significantly" expand its A-Level offering. The building will feature state-of-the-art science labs for physics, biology and chemistry, a drama studio, arts studio, bespoke library for learners and more.

Chris Walker, McPhillips Project Director, visited Hollinswood Primary School with Martin Hill, McPhillips Project Manager, to judge the art competition.

Chris said: "Many of the children at Hollinswood Primary School may well go on to be students at the sixth form centre, so it simply made sense to find a way to involve them in the project from the outset. A big thank you to the staff and pupils that made this happen.

"The standard of entries was just incredible, and it was really interesting to see the children’s perceptions of a construction site.

"There were lots of diggers and cranes, and quite a lot of hard hats - perhaps some of them will go on to be our construction workforce of the future."

Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for education Councillor Shirley Reynolds added: "It’s fantastic to see that local school children have engaged in this competition to produce some fantastic pieces of artwork.

"Not only does this widen their knowledge of building sites, it could also encourage them to explore a future career in the construction industry.

"The artwork is eye-catching on display around the site for the new sixth form centre which will further establish Telford town centre as the place to gain qualifications, learn new skills and secure great careers."