Yr 11 students Kourtney Stuart-Mason, Ozenc Duzenli, Conor O’Halloran and Michael Ly with their artwork. Photo: Mary Bowen

Creative Hackney students staged an exhibition to show off their GCSE artwork last week.

The 55 pupils from Bridge Academy, Laburnum Street, organised the display of their work in the nearby Art House Foundation gallery.

Called The Big Bang, the show marks the first time pupils from the secondary school have taken their GCSE art exam, since Bridge Academy opened in 2008.

Art Teacher Elena Christodoulou said: “The whole group has really gone through a journey; they started the year lacking some confidence. There were tears and frustration. However in the end they have grown into artists and I am really proud of them.”

Art technician Jenny Moore added: “This was their first opportunity to plan anything like this. When they came in and saw their work some of them were shrieking.

It really changes the context to take their work out of the classroom and it looked really professional.”