Take willow canes, metallic ribbon, pine cones, laurel leaves, gossamer fine chiffon and luminous tulle; add balloons, bubble wrap and bucket loads of magic and what do you get? Weaving their imagination, artistic skills and appreciation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Year 5 chose a perfect, heat-shimmering day to design and create scarecrows of Puck, Oberon and Titania from a treasure trove of materials in the JAPS playground.

They learnt so much in the process! By lunch Freya, Mia, Katie and Freddie wanted to bring out Puck’s cheeky mischievous qualities and liked the wings but had issues with the stability of their Puck. Amy, Pia, Marayo, Maya and Tavleen were struggling a bit with the hair of their Titania, but were pleased with the elegance they’d achieved. Chloe, Amy, Sophie, Lilla and Arushi were still aiming for the right blend of nature and regality. There was a lot of rapid re-making underway to achieve the finished pieces.

The Royal Horticultural Society organisers of the Hampton Court Flower Show may not have realised what they’d unleashed with their Schools’ competition to make scarecrows on the theme of Shakespeare’s Comedies. It’s a strangely ethereal experience to encounter the striking effigies round every corner in the building and the grounds here – they seem to have taken on lives of their own! Will the judges be brave enough to invite them to Hampton Court? Wait and see!

Please see Gallery for more photos