Bellemoor School | Southampton

On Wednesday 9th May, a small group of Bellemoor Art students, led by Ms Tomlins, joined 120 Year 4 students at Shirley Junior School to complete a giant sculpture of Ted Hughes’ ‘The Iron Man’.   The boys were Amarpal Gill, Otis Cope, Charlie Dunn, Vickram Binning, Joe Slack, Daniel Lampard, Jack Stanley and Joe Benjamin. This was a culmination of a project that began before Easter and benefited from the foil wrappers of numerous Easter Eggs and incredible collections of recyclable waste ranging from cereal boxes to old bikes. 

It had the students buzzing with excitement! Various groups worked on different parts of the Iron Man’s body, led and assisted by their senior peers from Bellemoor.   A solid wooden base (built by Bellemoor’s technology technician, Mr Bonning) afforded the creation of what was indeed a giant, free-standing sculpture.   Assembled primarily out of boxes, papier maché, tape and grey paint, the Iron Man, surrounded by an impressive junk yard, now towers four metres high over the students of Shirley Junior as they move along their school corridor; testimony to just what can be achieved in so short a time with such simple tools.

Working with the Year 4 students was a pleasure and the Year 7 and 8 students from Bellemoor did themselves proud. Well done to all involved, many thanks to Ms Laura Gibbs at Shirley Juniors, and please feel free to go and visit our Iron Man!