Outdoor Environmental Education Centre - raised beds

The Pitch

Problem statement

We have limited outdoor play space and wish to provide our pupils with the opportunity to exercise in an engaging and safe environment. We also want to purse "Forest Schools" initiatives and provide a setting where pupils can learn outdoors. We have had the opportunity to develop an impressive space for this but need to enhance it with learning and play features. We want to create a facility that will attract, benefit and can be accessed and used by other schools and community groups.

Solution

The school was given a 2 hectare field with S106 funding for landscaping works. This was designed in collaboration with the Eden Project to create a space to provide outdoor education and exercise, with a strong environmental emphasis and the benefits of a "Forest Schools" approach to learning. The impact of this will be on the school population and other local schools and community groups. Whilst this is an amazing development we wish to enhance it and now funding to install interactive features and learning opportunities into this backdrop. For example logs and boulders that can be climbed on, a gazebo for shelter on wet days, a reading area, a presentation space and sheds for equipment

Why are we best placed to deliver?

Indian Queens is part of a 29 school Academy Trust. This brings us specialists in outdoor learning and this has been enhanced with our collaboration with the Eden Project. We have access to a full premises team to ensure this is built and maintained to a high standard. We have received S106 funding to establish the site and now need to populate it with Educational and Environmental features. It sits in a geographical location central to Cornwall and will be able to offer access to a wide range of other schools in our Trust and beyond and local community groups

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

3,000 people

Expected impact

Improvement to children and adult's health, mental wellbeing and behaviours. A greater understanding of the environment and outdoors. Learning outdoor skills such as cultivating vegetables, team working skills, building confidence, nature and sustainability This facility will benefit the 500 school population but will also attract visits from other schools in our Trust, schools outside the trust and local community groups due to the ambitiousness of the development

Track record

Our Trust has delivered many build projects from classrooms through to childrens play areas and Forest Schools. We have many experts in education in Forest Schools and outdoor activities and have developed and operated many similar but smaller facilities. We have recently developed an outdoor centre at a beach on Cornwall's south coast where children can benefit from the environmental interaction and learning that this offers. We are also investigating establishing a woodland centre. At a recent inspection of one of our schools our outdoor education was recognised by Ofsted "The innovative development of the outside learning space, together with its classroom and animals, enriches pupils’ experiences of science and geography"