Village school to create outdoor learning area with £10,000 grant

11:31am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A VILLAGE school will build a wildlife area and orchard for its pupils after securing a £10,000 grant from Awards For All.

The Friends of East Cowton School, near Northallerton, secured the funding last week after applying in March.

The money will be used to create a garden, wildlife zone, orchard and classroom to complement the school's existing facilities.

The project includes a 12m sq fenced area with gravel underfoot and a shelter overhead, which will enclose wooden work areas and planting boxes.

It will be built in August or September and will be available for the school and local community to use as soon as it is complete.

Pupils are currently honing their skills on the school's existing vegetable garden, which has four raised beds and an eating area with five picnic benches.

This area was built by the children and their families to get pupils and staff used to working outside.

Headteacher Julia Campbell said: "There has been a swathe of Government directives recently urging schools to make use of outdoor facilities in order to promote the learning of life skills.

"We will integrate the learning of these life skills into the curriculum in a small way this term and, thanks to the Awards for All grant, will be able to extend our provision significantly from September in our new outdoor learning environment."

Alexina Cassidy, committee member of the Friends of East Cowton School, said: "We are absolutely delighted to receive the award and cannot wait to be able to offer the children, supported by members of the local community, an outside learning area where they can get out in the fresh air and work together towards the creation of a thriving garden and orchard."

Awards for All is a National Lottery grants scheme that funds projects that can be completed within 12 months. Organisations can receive up to £10,000.

The outdoor area will be used to fulfil various parts of the school's curriculum. It also hopes to run a weekly after school gardening club and possibly a Saturday morning outdoor club.

Volunteers with gardening experience are needed to help create the area. If anyone is interested and would like to know more they can email Mrs Campbell at admin@eastcowton.n-yorks.sch.uk, or call Mrs Cassidy on 01609-881097.