Improvements to the playground at St Bernadette’s Primary mean that lessons are regularly being taken beyond the classroom.
The Tullibody primary school is one of ten primaries in Clackmannanshire involved in the Grounds for Learning Project and is now in its second year of developing learning and playing outdoors.
Grounds for Learning is the Alloa-based Scottish school grounds charity. Their vision is for Scottish children to be happier and healthier, to learn more effectively and to develop environmental understanding and care as a result of enjoying great outdoor environments and experiences in their schools and nurseries. They support schools and early years settings to create fun and inspiring outdoor spaces for health, learning, play, sustainability, sociability and fun.
In year one of the St Bernadette’s project, families in school were asked to design playground play structures to improve the school’s grounds. The Pupil Council then agreed on two designs – ‘the snake’ designed by the Lachut Family (Paul and Shaun) and ‘a bug’ wooden structure, designed by the Hughes family (Eilidh).
The school then established a partnership with Forth Valley College and their building department agreed to create both designs. Pupils visited the college to see their designs being brought to life. Both the ‘snake in the grass’ and the ‘bugs’ have now been installed, to the delight of the pupils.
P3/4 pupils also worked on a gardening project with John Warnock and together have developed the quad area.
Other improvements that St Bernadette’s achieved last year involved parents and the outdoor blackboards and fairy logs are well used by pupils at playtimes.
St Bernadette’s Headteacher Tina O’Neill said: “Our special thanks go to Bill Hamilton and his team at the college who were excellent in bringing these designs to life. Curriculum for Excellence makes connections between indoor and outdoor learning across the curriculum and this project continues to enrich our pupils’ learning. In this second year of the project we intend to build an outdoor classroom to facilitate more opportunities for our children to learn outside.”
