We’re delighted to share some highlights from our recent ‘Trash to Treasure’ project – an initiative delivered in partnership with Skills Builder, which brought creativity, teamwork and hands-on learning to life across our Education Division. The project was led by Chloe O’Malley, our Head of Careers, whose enthusiasm and dedication to developing essential skills in our young people played a key role in making the project such a success.
As part of our ongoing work with Skills Builder, which we’ve proudly been involved with for nearly two years, this challenge was designed to help pupils develop key life skills they’ll use both in and beyond school. The focus areas for the project were:
- Speaking – presenting ideas clearly and confidently
- Creativity – using imagination and thinking outside the box
- Leadership – working effectively in teams and supporting one another
The Trash to Treasure challenge asked pupils to design and build a brand-new toy using recycled materials, supporting Horizon’s Bright Impact responsible business approach and the Bright Impact on the Planet pillar by encouraging sustainability and creative reuse.
Each team was tasked with researching, planning, designing and constructing their toy, before pitching it in front of peers and staff during a competition held within their school. Schools across our Education Division then selected a winning team to progress to a group-wide final, where the finalists showcased their creations to a panel of guest judges. The standard of entries was exceptionally high, demonstrating impressive levels of creativity, teamwork and innovation throughout.
The grand final took place on the evening of 21st May, with pupils presenting their prototypes to a judging panel, including two brilliant guest judges – Deej Johnson and Sarah Everett. Pupils put a huge amount of effort into not only creating their toys, but also producing thoughtful videos and confident presentations showcasing the skills they’d developed throughout the project.
After careful deliberation, we were thrilled to announce the winners: J, M and H from Brewood School, with their impressive and imaginative prototype, ‘Brewood’s Dream House’.
The judges were full of praise for the winning entry:
“We were really impressed with the creative use of materials throughout the project, especially in the garden area, which stood out as a highlight. We loved the clever use of a cardboard tube to support the upper floors – such a smart and resourceful design choice. The presentation was also excellent, clearly delivered and answering many of the questions we had in advance. The toy followed a classic play pattern, making it instantly recognisable and ready for play straight away. We also really appreciated the attention to detail, particularly the thoughtful mix of 2D sketches with shadows and perspective alongside 3D physical elements – it really brought the whole concept to life.”
Congratulations to J, M and H!
Most importantly, feedback from our Careers Leaders was overwhelmingly positive – it was a genuinely fun and engaging experience for pupils, who loved working together and sharing their ideas. It was heartening to see them encouraging each other, speaking so confidently, and taking such pride in their work. We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve achieved.
A big well done to everyone who took part – you truly turned trash into treasure and brought learning to life in a creative and meaningful way.
We’re also grateful to our guest judges for lending their expertise:
- Sarah Everett, Senior Product Designer at So Sound, who has worked on major brands including Star Wars, Rubik’s, Marvel and Nerf.
- Deej Johnson, creative consultant, author and co-inventor, with clients such as Disney, ITV, Hasbro and Bananagrams.
Finally, thank you to our colleagues across the group for supporting and championing this project – your efforts helped make it a great success.
Here are some more highlights from across our schools:
