Bloor Homes donation boosts outdoor Early Years classroom in Widnes
Year 1 students at Lunt’s Heath Primary School in Widnes are learning and having fun in their new, outdoor garden/classroom with new play equipment thanks to a £2,000 donation by Bloor Homes.
The new space was the idea of the school’s Early Years team after they looked at the needs of the Reception cohort moving up this autumn. They set about developing an outdoor area with direct access to the Year 1 classrooms, as a natural extension of the Early Years classroom environment.
David Paton, Headteacher at Lunt’s Heath Primary School, explains: “The staff wanted somewhere that was safe, accessible and related to the Year 1 curriculum - somewhere they could give the children the opportunity to focus on areas they may not have achieved in Reception and where we can extend learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
“The team at Bloor Homes has been brilliant – we have used the donation to fence the area for safety and provide the children with fantastic play equipment. We’re really pleased with the result; the children and staff are already really making the most of the space and we’ll be able to use it for all Y1 students coming through the school from now on.”
According to the Chartered College of Teaching’s Research Hub ‘both nature-based outdoor learning, where activities focus on engaging with the natural world (such as forest school, adventurous expeditions and bushcraft), and curriculum-based outdoor learning (such as carrying out usual traditional lessons but in an outdoor environment), have been shown to have a positive impact on outcomes for students.’
It also states: ‘A systematic review of 58 outdoor learning studies from the UK found that almost all types of outdoor learning had a positive impact on defined outcomes (Fiennes et al., 2015).’
Bloor Homes has a long history of supporting the needs of the communities in which it builds. The developer is bringing a selection of three and four bedroom family homes to its new Aspen Brook development in Widnes, just 1.6 miles from the School.
Lucy McCabe, Sales Director for Bloor Homes’ North West region, said: “This project has been so much fun. The staff knew exactly what they wanted to create and their enthusiasm and vision made it really easy to get on board. We’re thrilled to hear that the children and staff are really enjoying such a great area. They have done a fantastic job and it is our pleasure to play a part in benefitting the children’s education.”
The students and staff certainly are making the most of it, as Mr Paton adds: “We have really noticed how the children are free to explore areas of the curriculum that they wouldn’t have been able to previously, and that they have the confidence to try new activities, without being restricted to a classroom environment. It’s given them the opportunity to be inventive, inquisitive, and experimental within Year 1. My personal favourite is seeing the children covering themselves - and staff - in glitter when experimenting!”
To find out more about the new homes at Aspen Brook, visit www.bloorhomes.com/developments/cheshire/widnes/aspen-brook