Member Article

Miller Homes helps make forest learning accessible for all at Warwickshire school

New home builder Miller Homes West Midlands has donated £500 towards a forest school facility at a local school in Warwickshire.

Located in Stratford-upon-Avon, Bishopton Primary School is just a ten minute walk from Miller Homes’ Trinity Fields development.

Since its launch earlier this year, the school’s forest learning facility has become increasingly popular amongst pupils from Foundation Stage to Early Key Stage 1, allowing them to get hands-on with nature in the great outdoors. The school hopes to open up outdoor learning to its Key Stage 2 pupils and has used the donated funds to further develop the space, making it more accessible for students across all year groups and abilities.

Through the removal of a selection of overgrown trees, the site has been expanded to allow pupils to safely explore the spaces between the woodland ‘avenue’ and the open seating area.

The newly upgraded forest school will enable students to better connect with nature, wildlife and gain a better understanding of ecosystems and the wider environment.

Alastair Parsons, area sales director at Miller Homes, said:

“Supporting schools and communities in each location we build in is always extremely important to us, but this project is a particularly special one. Bishopton Primary School’s forest school is a brilliant initiative and after speaking with the teachers and pupils, we understand that it has become an essential part of how the children learn and having the chance to get up close and personal with nature has a whole range of benefits. Not only does it encourage creative play and a deeper understanding of the environment, but it also enhances problem solving skills, communication and social skills.

“We’re delighted to have been able to help Bishopton Primary School bring nature that bit closer to its students, and we look forward to seeing how they use this space in the coming years.”

Earlier this year, Miller Homes also earmarked £1.5million worth of community funding for improving nursery and pre-school provision, the creation of a new secondary school and to support children with special educational needs across Stratford-upon-Avon.

Elizabeth Hanson, Forest School lead at Bishopton Primary School, commented:

“Our forest school facility has become really popular with our pupils. When we launched the forest school we wanted it to be about individuals exploring and experiencing the natural world on their own terms, in an environment where they can have the freedom to really connect with nature. The facility also gives us the opportunity to observe our pupils in a different setting outside the traditional classroom and it follows growing evidence that forest schools can inspire children to learn in different ways.

“On behalf of Bishopton Primary School and our pupils, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Miller Homes for its kind donation. With their help, we’re now able to get more students than ever before, learning in the great outdoors and exploring nature.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Crossthwaite .