And she was even more delighted when she got the go ahead to turn her design into reality. Sarah’s proposals for Holy Trinity Primary School, Marlow, were welcomed by the school, and the installation took place this summer.

The school was desperate for a solution to revamp the scruffy, overcrowded, unattractive year 5/6 girls cloakroom area. Sarah’s inspiration came from cycles in nature such as the water cycle, the carbon cycle, the life cycles of all living organisms and the fact that the preservation of the ecosystem depends on the continuation and balance of these cycles. This led onto the idea of using recycled and recyclable materials. "I wanted to incorporate the idea of cycles and recycling in the floor design and for inspiration used the children dancing together in circles with flowing movements, using hoops and ribbons. I took lots of photos and drew over the patterns they made to provide ideas for the floor." The children were involved in each stage of the process, including choosing colour schemes.

The cloakroom has undergone a complete transformation from a bag-strewn, untidy space to an oasis of calm and neatness, with new lockers to store coats and sports kits.

More information on the 2008 winners, and details of the 2009 competition are available on this website or by email from