Ockendon students first in country with stained windows project

LAST WEEK saw the grand unveiling of a beautiful display of maths themed stained glass windows both designed and made by The Ockendon Academy’s Year 10 BTEC Art students.

Usually students would just design the windows and a professional would produce them based on their artwork. However in the case of The Ockendon Academy students, they were given the opportunity to actually make the windows themselves, something which Sarah Lyne, Head of Art believes is a first in the country. Students happily sliced through glass and leaded the windows themselves and created some A* standard creations that are now proudly on display in the Maths corridor at the Academy.

The students created the windows under the guidance of Caroline Weidman, Glass Artist from ‘Glass From The Past’ based at Barleylands Craft Village, Billericay. Caroline visited The Ockendon Academy, every Monday for three months to help them design and make their creations.

At the opening, Caroline said she is ‘gobsmacked’ by what the students have completed and it has ‘revolutionised’ her thinking about what can be achieved. Caroline even had one student approach her to say ‘Miss, this was the best thing I’ve ever done’.

Mrs Barbara King, Principal of The Ockendon Academy states: “The stained windows are a stunning addition to the Academy and I am amazed with the standard of the work that the students have created. We are blessed to have worked with Caroline and we hope that we can work together again to produce some work for our new eight classroom block opening in July 2012.”