Children add creative touch to Cornwall school's flood defences
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-24)

Mousehole Primary School pupils decorate culvert's temporary barriers during flood defence construction work.

Children aged 2 to 11 at Mousehole Primary School picked up their paintbrushes in the first week of term for a special creative day, transforming construction hoardings into works of art as part of major flood defence improvements at the school.

Pupils' artwork will become part of the hoardings used to screen off construction work

The immersive painting event allowed pupils to put their personal stamp on the temporary barriers surrounding the ongoing culvert replacement works. These works are designed to reduce flooding in the school playground and wider Mousehole community. Organised by the project team from construction company Kier and the Environment Agency, it was another opportunity for the children to ask questions about the work taking place in a less formal environment.

This event built on earlier engagement with Mousehole Primary School, where pupils explored joint materials from the Environment Agency and Department for Education, deepening their understanding of flood resilience and its importance to their local community.

Mousehole harbour in Cornwall

Mousehole is particularly vulnerable to flash flooding due to its steep valley location and two main watercourses - the Paul Stream and Tumble Tyn - which flow directly through the village before discharging into the harbour. The existing culvert systems restrict flows, and are frequently overwhelmed during heavy rainfall, creating the potential for significant flooding events.

The Environment Agency is taking comprehensive action to improve flood resilience in Mousehole (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-flood-resilience-in-mousehole/improving-flood-resilience-in-mousehole) through an integrated approach that combines multiple measures. This includes working with local landowners and farmers to slow and reduce flood flows into the village whilst improving the natural environment. This also involves better protecting properties that remain at risk through property flood resilience measures, such as flood doors.

The school project forms a key part of this strategy, involving the replacement of the existing culvert under the school playground with an oversized traditional design that will provide additional storage capacity during periods of heavy rainfall. The new infrastructure includes enhanced channel drainage to capture overland flow and maximise the capacity of the Paul Stream watercourse. Owing to the flooding impact to the school, the project was partially funded by the Department for Education.

The finished artwork

The construction works were timed to coincide with the school summer holidays to minimise disruption to pupils and staff.

Ben Johnstone, Environment Agency flood and coastal risk manager for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said:

Mousehole’s unique geography makes it particularly susceptible to flash flooding, but we’re taking decisive action through our integrated approach.

This school project is a vital component of our comprehensive flood resilience strategy, working alongside natural flood management measures and property-level resilience to better protect this historic coastal community.

Philip Ramsay, operations director for Kier Natural Resources, Nuclear & Networks, said:

While we’re working hard to protect the community from flooding, we want the children to feel involved about what’s planned and how it might affect them.

As part of our extensive engagement with the school before construction started, we invited pupils to vote for their favourite painting theme and were thrilled when they chose local wildlife and scenery to brighten up the site.

It’s clear from the fantastic paintings that the children have both artistic flair and a strong relationship with nature and the environment where they live.

Sarah Trow, Mousehole Primary School headteacher, said:

Our pupils had a wonderful experience designing and creating their class boards to decorate the hoarding.

Thanks to the support of the Kier and Environment Agency team, the children were able to access the activity and gain a clearer understanding of the current culvert work that is happening in their playground and what the outcome will be which we’re all excited about.

We are looking forward to seeing the designs up on the hoardings and when the work is completed plan to recycle the boards for future generations of pupils to enjoy.

While flooding risk cannot be completely eliminated in the area due to downstream restrictions, the new infrastructure will significantly reduce how often flooding occurs. The design involves minimal above-ground changes whilst delivering enhanced protection for both the school and wider community as part of the Environment Agency’s broader flood resilience programme for Mousehole. As a legacy of this investment, the project also presents a valuable opportunity to enhance the playground setting for the school.

Background
- More about flood resilience in Mousehole (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-flood-resilience-in-mousehole/improving-flood-resilience-in-mousehole).