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Halam C of E Primary School opens new outdoor classroom




A school has now opened its first outdoor classroom, which will be used all year around to combine fresh air with education.

Three years in the making, Halam C of E Primary School officially opened its newest teaching space at the weekend, with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by schoolchildren, parents, teachers, and village residents.

With just over 60 pupils, the small village school is at the heart of the community, and it was this community that came together to help raise the money needed.

Pupils. left to right, Archie Lambert 10, Alice Carlisle 9, William Anderson 10, Holly Bostock 10, Mia Cowlishaw 10, Vesper Hayes 9, Edward Clarke 11, Bobby Storey 7 and Alex Rogers 10, pictured with chairman of PTFA James Bust and headteacher Aly Speed.
Pupils. left to right, Archie Lambert 10, Alice Carlisle 9, William Anderson 10, Holly Bostock 10, Mia Cowlishaw 10, Vesper Hayes 9, Edward Clarke 11, Bobby Storey 7 and Alex Rogers 10, pictured with chairman of PTFA James Bust and headteacher Aly Speed.

The new space will be named after the acorn, as the school’s classes are themed around trees, and was chosen by children in the Head Team and Eco Warriors club.

Dozens of fundraising events took place at the school over the past few years, including concerts, raffles, film nights, discos, sports days, and stalls at their summer and winter fairs.

Halam outdoor classroom was opened by pupil Matilda Farrar, who cut the ribbon. Photo: James Bust.
Halam outdoor classroom was opened by pupil Matilda Farrar, who cut the ribbon. Photo: James Bust.

Chairman of the school PTFA, James Bust, said: “It’s been a bit of a long process raising money, but we got there.

“This wasn’t a six month thing, it was a whole three year process

“We wanted to give the children a working outdoor space and they’re going to get a lot of pleasure and enjoyment out of it.

“It was a great event — an opportunity for everyone involved to come together, have a look and say thank you.”

James said that the school is an important part of the village community, as several generations of residents had passed through its halls, and not only did he attend the school as a pupil, but his own grandfather founded the school PTFA 50 years ago.

Pupils from Halam C of E say thank you to those who donated for the new outdoor classroom. Photo: James Bust.
Pupils from Halam C of E say thank you to those who donated for the new outdoor classroom. Photo: James Bust.

School headteacher Aly Speed, said: “We’ve seen a big push for outdoor education because it provides so many benefits to all of our children.

“We know not all children learn in the same way, so having different environments works better for different children.

“We also wanted it to feel different and not just like another room, so the side can be lifted and opened up and they will be able to hear the birds sing while learning.”

The new space will be used for a range of activities including PE and choir practice, and the school have appointed an outdoor education lead to ensure they get the best use out of the classroom.

Several organisations sponsored the building, including Halam Parish Council, Farnsfield Trust, Southwell and District Lions Club, Southwell Rotary and Newark and Sherwood District Council among others.

LLT Civils also donated and laid the concrete foundations free of charge.



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