Cardiff Council’s Cardiff Commitment is launching ‘Shape My Street, Shape My School’ for the third year running with the Welsh School of Architecture.
The award-winning scheme brings together pupils, schools, industry partners and designers to celebrate a programme already recognised nationally for its impact.
Developed by the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff Council’s Cardiff Commitment Team, teachers and industry partners, the initiative has already been acknowledged at the Inspire Future Generations Awards 2025 (IFGA25) and scooped top prize in the Education category, in recognition of excellence and impact in empowering children and young people to advocate for a better built environment.
The Thornton Education Trust responsible for the awards noted: “this large-scale, ambitious, cross-curricular project is a successful example of sophisticated partnership working. Over two years, the partners demonstrated appropriate roles that were vital in building long-term capacity and delivering on the ambitious aims of the new Welsh curriculum.”
More than 700 primary pupils across Cardiff have already taken part in the programme, which empowers children to co‑design real improvements to their school environments and wider communities.
Through hands‑on design, modelling and construction‑linked learning, pupils explore architecture, STEM, carbon literacy, inclusivity and the role of the built environment in everyday life. Children discover how buildings shape lives, challenge stereotypes, gain exposure to new career paths and contribute to meaningful community improvements.
The project is aligned with the Curriculum for Wales and supports Social Value & Community Wellbeing TOMs, helping contractors deliver meaningful community benefit.
A wide range of Cardiff schools have already transformed ideas into action through partnerships with contractors and design professionals with key highlights including:
- Willowbrook Primary & BDP, working with Bouygues, produced architectural drawings that will be used to enhance their outdoor learning environment.
- Trowbridge Primary, Horan and Stride Treglown developed an outdoor path and meadow, turning previously unused space into an active learning and wellbeing area.
- Pen Y Bryn Primary & Centregreat Engineering built an outdoor seating area for pupils, improving social and learning spaces.
- Adamsdown Primary & Vinci enhanced their outdoor learning environment through pupil‑led design priorities.
- Ysgol Nant Caerau & Wates constructed a community shelter for a wellbeing garden, integrating sustainable design with community use.
- Stacey Primary & Morgan Sindall improved their forest school learning environment through collaborative design and pupil input.
Ongoing developments across participating schools include proposals for an outdoor library, a shared community kitchen, an edible garden and further forest school enhancements, all generated directly from pupil ideas.
The next phase of the programme will continue to grow through new school‑contractor partnerships and case studies, forming part of a forthcoming Welsh School of Architecture publication.
Cllr Sarah Merry, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Education, said:
“This programme puts children’s voices at the heart of how we design and improve the places they learn and live and their creativity continues to inspire what is possible for school and community spaces. By harnessing the social value of our construction partners, ‘Shape My Street – Shape My School’ turn ideas into real, measurable improvements.
“Winning the Inspire Future Generations Awards is a testament to the imagination of Cardiff’s pupils and the partnerships built through Cardiff Commitment.”
