Schools

It was not only life-size gorillas that could be spotted this summer! One hundred schools and nurseries throughout Greater Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and even Cameroon took part in the Wow! Gorillas education programme, ‘adopting’ a baby gorilla sculpture of their very own for students to design and decorate!

These baby gorillas were proudly on display within each school’s local community to form part of the Wow! Gorillas sculpture trail. Display locations included public libraries, shop windows, community leisure centres and even parks.   

13 schools in Chippenham participated in the programme thanks to part funding by Chippenham Council, to create a mini sculpture trail of their very own - a map of this trail in Chippenham can be found here.

As well as receiving a mini gorilla, each educational establishment received a school visit from one of Bristol Zoo’s education officers to find out more about our hairy relatives, through interactive gorilla assemblies and workshops. Schools also received an education pack full of activities and resources designed to develop learning and debate. 

The enthusiasm shown by staff and students at each of the participating schools has been fantastic with many developing gorilla-related projects, wall displays and mind maps around their sculpture.

The baby gorillas have now returned to their school nests where they will become a permanent feature to be enjoyed by staff and students for years to come.

A full list of participating schools, along with the locations the gorillas were situated in can be found here and a Google map showing each location is available online here.

The aim of Wow! Gorillas is to raise significant funds to support gorilla conservation projects and Bristol charity Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal.

Wow! Gorillas is a joint partnership between Bristol Zoo Gardens, Bristol City Council and Wild in Art.

Wow! Gorillas goes global!

Below is a short video of school children in Cameroon being given their very own gorilla statue to decorate.

Listed below are the schools who have so far agreed to take part:

Ashley Down Infant School, Ashley Down
Ashley Down Primary School, Ashley Down
Ashley Down Junior School, Ashley Down
Ashton Gate Primary School, Ashton Gate
Ashton Vale Primary School, Ashton Vale
Badminton School, Westbury on Trym
Barley Close Primary School, Mangotsfield
Barton Hill Primary School (sponsored by Greensource Solutions),
Bowsland Green Primary School, Bradley Stoke
Bridge Learning Campus Primary School, Hartcliffe
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol
Broadway Infant School, Yate
By Brook Valley Primary School, Chippenham
Cabot Primary School, St Pauls
Charfield Primary School, Charfield, South Gloucestershire
Charlton Farm Children's Hospice South West, Wraxhall
Charter Primary School, Chippenham
Cheddar Grove Primary School, Bedminster Down
Chester Park Junior School, Fishponds 
Claremont Primary School, Henleaze
Claremont Senior School, Redland
Clifton College
Colston's Primary School, Cotham
Coniston Primary School, Patchway, South Gloucestershire
Elmlea Infant School, Westbury on Trym
Emerson’s Green Primary School (sponsored by Airbus),
Fair Furlong Primary School, Withywood
Fonthill Primary School, Southmead
Frogwell Primary School, Chippenham
Glenfrome Primary School, Eastville
Golden Valley Primary School, Nailsea
Hamilton Pre-School, Brislington (Sponsored by Heat Recruitment)
Hareclive Primary School, Hartcliffe
Hareclive Primary School, Room 13(sponsored by the John James Bristol Foundation)
Headley Park Primary School, Headley Park
Henbury Secondary School, Henbury
Henleaze Infant School, Henleaze  Henleaze Junior School, Henleaze
Horfield CEVC Primary School, Westbury-on-Trym
Iron Acton Primary School, Iron Acton, South Gloucestershire
Ivy Lane Primary School, Chippenham
King's Lodge Primary School, Chippenham
Luckwell Primary School, Bedminster
Mama Bear's Baby & Toddler, Downend
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Hengrove
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Cadbury Heath
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Shirehampton
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Taunton
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Brislington
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Clifton
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Fishponds
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, Soundwell
Mama Bear's Day Nursery, St George
Mama Bear's Downend Pre-School, Downend
Marshfield C of E Primary School, Marshfield, Wiltshire
Metet School, Cameroon, Africa
The Meriton Centre, St Philips Marsh
Monkton Park Primary School, Chippenham
Old Sodbury School, Old Sodbury, South Gloucestershire
Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School, Kingswood
Our Lady of the Rosary RCVA Primary School, Lawrence Weston (sponsored by Flying Saucers)
Parson Street Primary School, Bedminster
Perry Court Primary School, Hengrove
QEH Junior School, Clifton
Queen's Crescent Primary School, Chippenham
Redland High Junior School, Redland
Redland High Senior School, Redland
Redland Primary School, Chippenham
Sefton Park Infant & Junior School, Ashley Down
Sheldon School, Chippenham
St Anne's Park Primary School, St Anne’s
St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, Shirehampton (sponsored by Costco)
St Bonaventure's Catholic Primary School, Bishopston
St John's C of E Primary School, Clifton
St John's Mead Primary School, Chipping Sodbury
The Margaret Cotes Centre at St Martins Garden Primary School, Bath
St Michael on the Mount Primary School, Bristol (sponsored by Radisson Blu)
St Nicholas of Tolentine, Bristol (Sponsored by National Express)
St Nicholas School, Chippenham 
St Paul's Primary School, Chippenham
St Peter & St Paul RC VA Primary School, Redland
St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Bishopsworth
St Peter's Primary School, Chippenham
St Philip's Marsh Nursery, St Philips Marsh
St Philip's Marsh Nursery (sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass),Bristol
St Pius X RC Primary School, Withywood
St Stephen's Infant School, Kingswood
St Theresa's Catholic Primary School, Monks Park
St Werburgh's Primary School, St Werburgh’s
Stanton St Quintin Primary School, Stanton St Quintin, Chippenham
The Red Maids' Junior School, Westbury-on-Trym
Wansdyke Primary School, Whitchurch
Warmley Park Primary School, Warmley
Wheatfield Primary School, Bradley Stoke
Whitehall Primary School, Whitehall
Woodlands Primary School, Yate
Wrington C of E Primary School, Wrington, North Somerset (sponsored by City Sightseeing)
Yatton Infant School, Yatton, North Somerset (sponsored by Radisson Blu)