Wall Mural Design Case Study: Healey School
Healey Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Batley partnered with Rune Films’ design and illustration team to turn tired, blank corridors into large-format wall murals the whole school could feel a part of.
The brief was not decoration for its own sake. It was to put the school’s identity and values where every child would see them, every day.
This project is a strong example of design and illustration used to build belonging and reinforce a school’s ethos through its physical space.
The Challenge
Healey wanted its shared spaces to say something about the children who fill them: where they come from, what they are proud of, and what the school stands for. Standard, off-the-shelf school décor was never going to do that.
The murals needed to:
reflect the local area and the diverse cultural backgrounds of the pupils
carry the school’s values in a way children actually engage with
work as large-format artwork that survives a busy primary school
feel warm, inclusive and unmistakably Healey
The Approach
Research
Creative
We started on the ground rather than at the desk, spending time at the school, photographing local landmarks and talking to staff about what mattered to them. That grounding shaped everything that followed.
The first mural celebrated the local area and the children’s cultural backgrounds, threaded through with positive affirmations such as “Believe, Achieve, Succeed”, alongside recognisable local landmarks like Batley War Memorial. Every element, from illustration style to colour palette, was designed to feel like Healey and nowhere else.
Production & Install
The final artwork was produced and installed as durable, large-format vinyl, built to withstand the daily wear of a busy primary school while keeping the illustration crisp and the colour true.
The Result
The first mural did its job, and Healey came back for a second. This one took on healthy living, with sport, nutrition and wellbeing themes (“Be Active & Healthy”, “Healthy Foods”, “Resilience”) carried in the same visual language, so the two pieces read as one consistent story across the school rather than two one-offs.
Why This Worked
The artwork gave pupils something to recognise as theirs. Rather than generic wall filler, the murals reflect the children’s own community and reinforce the school’s values in a place they pass every day, turning a corridor into a quiet, constant piece of the school’s identity.
Design research and concept development
Illustration and original artwork
Two large-format vinyl wall murals
Roughly four to six weeks per mural, brief to installation
Project Scope
We’ll let the commission speak for itself: the school liked the first mural enough to ask for a second. A repeat brief is the review that counts.
The Verdict
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Looking for wall murals or design and illustration? Get in touch.
Rune Films’ design and illustration team creates original artwork, branding and large-format murals for schools and organisations across Leeds, West Yorkshire and the UK. If you have a space that should be working harder for you, we’d like to help. Get in touch and let’s make your mark.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are school wall murals used for?
Beyond brightening a space, well-designed murals reinforce a school’s identity and values, celebrate the local community, and give pupils a sense of belonging. Done properly they’re a permanent, everyday piece of the school’s ethos rather than simple decoration.
How long does a wall mural take?
For a project like Healey’s, roughly four to six weeks from brief to installation, covering research, concept, illustration, and producing and fitting the final large-format vinyl.
Can the murals reflect our specific school and community?
Yes, that’s the point. We research the local area and work closely with staff so the artwork reflects your pupils, your values and your place, rather than a generic template.
Do you only work with schools?
No. Our design and illustration team produces branding, illustration and large-format artwork for a wide range of clients. Schools are just one of the places murals do especially good work.