Pupils celebrate official opening of a new outdoor classroom at Sandy school
The dream of an outdoor classroom has turned into reality for pupils of St Swithun’s Primary School in Sandy.
Pupils and staff celebrated its official opening on Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony carried out by Sandy mayor, cllr Paul Sharman, and blessing by the Rev Jodie Brown.
The idea of a new classroom came from a modest proposal just over two years ago to look at funding opportunities to enhance the school’s outdoor areas so that gardening and environmental activities could be enjoyed by pupils.
And thanks to funding from the Tesco Stronger Starts Initiative, Sandy Town Council, HBC Logistics and Origin Enterprises, work was started to transform many areas of the school grounds.
The old pond was filled with five tonnes of soil to create an environmental habitat and planted with relevant species. Another area was then cleared by dismantling the old and dilapidated outdoor classroom, which was replaced by a bug hotel village and two raised beds filled with sensory plants.
The nursery grounds were also cleared, and raised beds used for vegetable production, with the early years staff starting the ‘little saplings’ project, giving even the youngest children opportunities to use the area to play, grow and build a den among other activities.
A spokesperson said: “The forest school needed more resources and this was achieved through the funding so they could enhance the experience for older children.
“The rationale – all to increase the awareness of the environment and understand how, from an early age, children can help to reduce carbon and other emissions, embrace sustainability and increase their understanding of a balanced and healthy diet by growing vegetables.
"But there was a final aspiration – the school had lost their outdoor classroom just when they needed a central hub to bring all of these activities together.
“They needed the chance to have a new outdoor classroom for teachers to deliver the outdoor activities to enhance an already strong curriculum for the children at St Swithun’s.”
This project was made possible thanks to a grant from the A428 National Highways Community Fund, managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. Both organisations had representatives at the opening and wer thanked by chair of governors, Mrs Diane Osborne.