28 June 2019

The play spaces at Holy Spirit Parish School, Manifold Heights, have been transformed thanks to the hard work of VCAL students from Clonard College, Herne Hill.

Following months of planning and designing, the secondary students built and decorated cubby houses and a new playground at the nearby primary school. The project, driven by the students, allowed them to get real-world experience while giving back to the local community.

Clonard College’s VCAL coordinator Sarah Clark sees the potential for learning in forming meaningful community and commercial partnerships. ‘The collaboration and networking with local tradespeople, training providers, industry professionals and our local businesses gave our students an insight into the power of communities working together and the world of work.’

Clonard College principal, Luci Quinn, knows that a project of this size takes a lot of cooperation to get everything done. ‘The success of such a project depended on everyone: students, staff and community all playing their part to achieve a common goal.’

The true test of success came from the primary students as they explored the new spaces created for them. ‘Our students are the very lucky recipients of the Clonard team’s ingenuity, talents and hard work as they provided many new play options, as well as an amazing artistic cross and a colourful bed of plants’, said Rachel Holdsworth, principal of Holy Spirit Parish School.