The school has a dedicated Forest School area where children can explore, learn about the natural environment, and take part in physical and imaginative play. It is open to all pupils and is used for both structured lessons and at playtimes.
The Forest School is stocked with a range of equipment to enable pupils to take part in activities such as digging, pond-dipping and den-building. However, with the items being so well-used, the equipment does require replacing on a regular basis.
Bellway’s £200 donation has enabled the school to replace existing items which had reached the end of their useful life and to purchase different equipment to provide new outdoor learning experiences. The items purchased with Bellway’s donation include pond-dipping equipment comprising nets, magnifying glass pots and containers, as well as digging forks and shovels.
George Lumley, Headteacher at St Margaret’s CE Primary School, said: “Our Forest School is an area designed to support children’s learning through outdoor exploration and discovery in a natural environment. It brings learning to life and it gives children the opportunity to develop social skills and gain a greater understanding of the environment and the importance of protecting habitats and the natural world.
“It is really well used which means that we do have quite a high turnover of equipment. Bellway’s generous donation has enabled us to top up our supplies and keep things refreshed so we can continue to meet the interests of the children. A lot of the pupils enjoy digging and looking for treasure or trying to find Australia so the new shovels and digging forks have been ideal for that.
“The pupils have really enjoyed using the new equipment and there’s often a very big queue of children outside the Forest School at lunchtime! From September, we are looking to extend our learning programme to give the children more time in that environment. It’s a very popular part of our provision and we are fortunate to have such a fantastic outdoor space.
“We really value our partnerships with local businesses and other organisations as it shows the children there is life beyond school. And of course, we greatly appreciate the support through generous donations such as this which really makes a difference.”
Jon Rance, Sales Manager for Bellway Wessex, said: “Supporting the local community is extremely important to us and we are pleased to have formed an ongoing relationship with St Margaret’s CE Primary School, having worked with them on a construction-themed art project last year.
“The school’s focus on providing opportunities for its children to learn about the importance of the natural world aligns very closely with our own company-wide commitment to sustainable practices. It was wonderful to visit the Forest School and to see how the new equipment is helping the pupils to get even closer to nature.”
For more information about Bellway’s Langmead Place development, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/wessex/langmead-place or call the sales team on 01903 337462.
