Making a wig for children who have cancer and creating a painting highlighting the agony of civilians in Syria might seem like unusual 'schooltime' activities.

But not for students at Egham International School in London Road.

More than 50 students - all aged 15 - recently celebrated the completion of their International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) by exhibiting their personal projects during a display evening at the school.

A wig for a young cancer patient was designed by student Louise Holmström and donated to the charity ‘Little Princess Trust’. To create the wig, Louise developed new skills including knotting and weaving and as part of her project she also explored how hair affects a person’s confidence.

Habiba Arafah’s painting depicted how the war in Syria affected the citizens there.

Finn Ractliffe created an artwork for his project, which displayed electronic waste in the form of a city. Finn investigated the best methods of recycling electronic waste to achieve environmental sustainability. Mercy Johnson created a film looking at how self esteem affects different age groups, particularly teenagers. Her project can be viewed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF_xNrTq4xI.

The display evening for teachers, family, friends and the wider school community enabled the students to personally explain their projects and answer questions.

Caroline Hazel, ACS Egham MYP Personal Project coordinator, said: “This year has seen an array of wonderful projects, spanning a vast variety of topics and ideas. Visitors who attended the display evening all marvelled at the students’ creativity and their fascinating insights drawn from in-depth investigation of their chosen topics.”

The IBMYP, taught at ACS Egham for students aged 11 to 14, consists of eight subject areas, providing a broad and balanced education. It is taught in almost 100 countries and aims to develop active learners who are internationally minded and able to empathise with others.