THE HIVE
What have we been up to?
Our campaign for creative thinking future
At Headington, we believe that a 21st century education is about more than learning facts and figures; it's about fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and most importantly, creativity. When individuals are inspired by their surroundings, they're more likely to be creative and imaginative, however creativity isn't just about drawing or painting - it's about being able to take risks, adapt to change, and turn ideas into reality. With our Centre for Creativity & Innovation: The Hive, we have created an environment that nurtures creativity, enabling each student to unlock their full potential.
Our campaign for creative thinking future
At Headington, we believe that a 21st century education is about more than learning facts and figures; it's about fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and most importantly, creativity. When individuals are inspired by their surroundings, they're more likely to be creative and imaginative, however creativity isn't just about drawing or painting - it's about being able to take risks, adapt to change, and turn ideas into reality. With our Centre for Creativity & Innovation: The Hive, we have created an environment that nurtures creativity, enabling each student to unlock their full potential.
The Hive is a hub for cross-curricular learning that emphasises sustainability, technology, and enterprise and has been fully operational since September 2021. It is a fantastic asset for Headington and as well as being the home for Art, Textiles, Photography and Creative Engineering, the Lecture Theatre and Emma Watson Gallery are in constant use by all year groups and used to host many events for parents and Headingtonians. The students’ work on display in the Gallery and throughout the building is constantly being updated and is inspirational for students, parents, Headingtonians and other visitors.
Putting creative thinking at the heart of a Headington education ensures that we teach these vital skills from an early age and build upon them at each stage of the curriculum.
Projects such as our Festival of Creativity, the Fashion Show, the Automotive Engineering Day and our involvement with the Chelsea Flower Show garden all help to firmly establish Headington’s reputation for putting creativity at the heart of a Headington education.
“Art at Headington is such a unique experience. Thanks to the recent development of The Hive, students have the ability to do Photography, Fine Art, Textiles, Design and Technology and so much more! The facilities that are on offer are truly incredible: we have 3D printers, an amazing Blackmagic Camera, tons of fabric, a darkroom, the list goes on! If you want to do Art here at Headington, don’t be afraid to do what YOU want to do. Whether you want to be a fashion designer or an animator, Headington can help you get there!”
The Hive is a hub for cross-curricular learning that emphasises sustainability, technology, and enterprise and has been fully operational since September 2021. It is a fantastic asset for Headington and as well as being the home for Art, Textiles, Photography and Creative Engineering, the Lecture Theatre and Emma Watson Gallery are in constant use by all year groups and used to host many events for parents and Headingtonians. The students’ work on display in the Gallery and throughout the building is constantly being updated and is inspirational for students, parents, Headingtonians and other visitors.
Putting creative thinking at the heart of a Headington education ensures that we teach these vital skills from an early age and build upon them at each stage of the curriculum.
Projects such as our Festival of Creativity, the Fashion Show, the Automotive Engineering Day and our involvement with the Chelsea Flower Show garden all help to firmly establish Headington’s reputation for putting creativity at the heart of a Headington education.
“Art at Headington is such a unique experience. Thanks to the recent development of The Hive, students have the ability to do Photography, Fine Art, Textiles, Design and Technology and so much more! The facilities that are on offer are truly incredible: we have 3D printers, an amazing Blackmagic Camera, tons of fabric, a darkroom, the list goes on! If you want to do Art here at Headington, don’t be afraid to do what YOU want to do. Whether you want to be a fashion designer or an animator, Headington can help you get there!”
Textiles garden
In May 2022, a number of our students contributed to a textile garden designed by Lottie Delamain for The Fashion Revolution which was exhibited and won a Silver-Gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2022. Working with our Head of Textiles, Mrs Kate Turnbull, the garden aimed to highlight a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly, fun approach to fashion – lessons learned in the new Art Textiles syllabus at Headington. After The Chelsea Flower Show, the garden was relocated to Headington School where it continues its life as a natural dye garden for students to use. Kate began sampling various natural dyes to get the right combination of hues for the garden and sourcing beautiful British grown natural flax linen. Read The Independent’s, House & Garden’s or Fashion United’s stories to find out more about the textile garden.
Lottie Delamain, Simon Hawkes, Caroline Jordan & Kate Turnbull moving the textile garden to Headington School
Textiles garden
In May 2022, a number of our students contributed to a textile garden designed by Lottie Delamain for The Fashion Revolution which was exhibited and won a Silver-Gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2022. Working with our Head of Textiles, Mrs Kate Turnbull, the garden aimed to highlight a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly, fun approach to fashion – lessons learned in the new Art Textiles syllabus at Headington. After The Chelsea Flower Show, the garden was relocated to Headington School where it continues its life as a natural dye garden for students to use. Kate began sampling various natural dyes to get the right combination of hues for the garden and sourcing beautiful British grown natural flax linen. Read The Independent’s, House & Garden’s or Fashion United’s stories to find out more about the textile garden.
Lottie Delamain, Simon Hawkes, Caroline Jordan & Kate Turnbull moving the textile garden to Headington School
Photography
House Photography Competition
No theme was set for last year’s House Photography Competition, however, students were asked to consider Headington’s core values of Creativity, Collaboration, Confidence, Curiosity, Compassion and Courage and reflect them in their photography – contemplating their environment, the core values and trying to incorporate them into their images.
The criteria for judging were:
- How technically correct is the photography?
- What is the subject matter?
- Is the composition balanced?
- Do I like this photograph?
Congratulations to Bethany (L6) in Isis House for her winning photograph titled Water is not a solid wall. The judges said: "This image is worthy of a national photography competition. The 6Cs were integrated very well into the concept. The creativity of the image is on another level; it leaves you intrigued and very curious". Another judge commented "I felt myself lost in this image for a moment. The student is clearly an impressive photographer, this had so much ‘wow’ factor".
This was considered the outright winner by all judges and commended for the creative use of reflection.
Eco-friendly techniques for natural photography
March was a busy month for our budding photographers who also got their hands dirty experimenting with innovative ecologically-friendly techniques for a workshop on natural photography. Artist photographer, John Blythe began a project in lockdown, working with 42 other practitioners across the world to find ways to reduce the environmental damage caused by traditional darkroom photographic chemicals. Through this process he developed a way of creating photographic developer from plants which is entirely eco-friendly.
During the workshop at Headington, pupils boiled rosemary and cloves to extract their phenols, before adding Vitamin C and eco-friendly washing soda to create their own plant-based photographic developer. They then carried out experimental mark making, applying the developer to packs of old photo paper which would have otherwise been thrown away, increasing the workshop’s eco credentials further.
The results were an exciting range of outcomes – and a fragrant smelling department!
The Lens Media Studio
The Lens Media Studio at Headington School has truly revolutionised the way Photography is taught within the School. Thanks to some generous benefactors, the School has been able to acquire professional-level equipment that has provided students with a vast range of possibilities to express themselves creatively while preparing for their future careers.
We are extremely fortunate with all the resources available to students within the Lens Media Studio, as it’s very rare for a school to have access to such state-of-the-art kit, including a Black Magic film camera, editing software, studio lighting and animation equipment.
This wide range of resources enables students to explore their creative passions and produce work of the highest calibre, resulting in our Sixth Form students developing a level of technical skill and practical experience normally reserved for higher education and those working in industry. We have been thrilled to see our students using professional level software such as ZBrush, the premier Hollywood-level software for 3D digital sculpting, giving them the opportunity to master industry-level work and gain valuable experience that will serve them in their future careers.
In addition to Photography students benefiting from these innovative facilities, Fashion Textiles and Art students also use the Lens Media Studio to support their work, creating a bustling hub of creativity that is home to more than 100 students. This collaborative learning environment fosters a unique opportunity for students to learn from one another, allowing for cross-disciplinary exploration and experimentation.
The Prep School shadow puppets at The Hive
In February of this year, a group of our enthusiastic and creative Prep School pupils had the opportunity to explore the captivating world of light and shadows at The Hive. This exciting learning experience was led by Mrs Tova Dalgleish, Director of Art, and Mr Mark Porter, our 3D and Media Technician, who provided expert guidance and support to the pupils throughout the workshop.
The Prep School shadow puppets at The Hive
In February of this year, a group of our enthusiastic and creative Prep School pupils had the opportunity to explore the captivating world of light and shadows at The Hive. This exciting learning experience was led by Mrs Tova Dalgleish, Director of Art, and Mr Mark Porter, our 3D and Media Technician, who provided expert guidance and support to the pupils throughout the workshop.
The Year 1 class were given the opportunity to showcase their creativity by designing laser-cut stencils of various characters, animals and scenery. These stencils were used to narrate stories that were entirely conceptualised by the pupils. The laser-cut stencils allowed them to experiment with the interplay of light and shadows, explore their artistic talents, learn about the science of light and shadows and collaborate with their classmates to create something truly remarkable - perhaps a first experience of ‘animation’ for a budding story teller!
The pupils’ artistic skills and creativity were on full display as they brought their stories to life, and with Mrs Dalgleish and Mr Porter's guidance, they were able to use a variety of techniques to create compelling visual stories that engaged and entertained their peers.
Creative Engineering Design (CED)
The opening of The Hive enabled Headington to offer Lower School pupils the opportunity to study a new course Creative Engineering and Design, using specialist hand tools, metalworking and bench-mounted equipment. This subject has proved so popular with U4 pupils that we created an additional Engineering Studio at the back of the new Food & Nutrition facilities and from September 2022, introduced Creative Engineering at GCSE level.
In their Creative Engineering and Design work, pupils have been bringing together a variety of creative skills as they build their own bridges. Throughout the year, in lessons and extracurricular sessions, students were tasked with designing and building bridges to cover a specific distance from a set amount of materials.
They began the process through theory and design, presenting and testing a multitude of maquettes in paper and lolly sticks, refining what they believed to be the strengths and weaknesses of each iteration. For the final construction, each group was given seven equally sized strips of aluminium to put their ideas into action, culminating in a variety of designs and styles, inspired by real life examples and inventions of their own imagination.
Mr Simon Hawkes, Deputy Head, said: “It’s been very interesting to see girls take care over each step of this exercise to refine their designs and then put them to the test. They’ve been able to use a set of tools which are new to many of them including hacksaws, engineer’s squares and more but it’s also given them a chance to combine their Maths, Art and Physics skills. It’s been wonderful to watch (and especially funny when they beg me for more aluminium) and fantastic to see our new CED department used for an exciting task”.
Automotive Engineering Day
With Creative Engineering in mind, in June, we held an Automotive Engineering day where pupils had the opportunity to explore various projects within this area. The school was abuzz with excitement as we were delighted to be joined by Ella Podmore, McLaren Engineer and Headingtonian (2014) who arrived in style in a prototype supercar. We are delighted that Ella has since been honoured a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the late Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list for her services to Engineering, Innovation and Diversity.
Automotive Engineering Day
With Creative Engineering in mind, in June, we held an Automotive Engineering day where pupils had the opportunity to explore various projects within this area. The school was abuzz with excitement as we were delighted to be joined by Ella Podmore, McLaren Engineer and Headingtonian (2014) who arrived in style in a prototype supercar. We are delighted that Ella has since been honoured a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the late Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list for her services to Engineering, Innovation and Diversity.
Will you lead us to a creative thinking future?
It is thanks to the generous support of alumnae, parents and the wider community that we have been able to create the incredible facilities available in The Hive for the benefit of current pupils and future generations of Headingtonians. Our Campaign for a Creative Thinking Future continues and any contributions towards specific pieces of equipment would make a huge difference to ensure pupils have access to the best learning opportunities. All donors will be recognised in The Hive.
Donate your Leaving Year and your name will be recognised on our donor window in The Hive.
For example - left in 2013? = Why not donate: £2013, £213, £20.13 or £2.13!
To find out more about how you can get involved, please contact Helen Batchelor, External Relations Trustee on hbatchelor@headington.org or call +44 (0)1865 759191.