Harrison College students and staff spent the summer term designing and planning the new Forest School learning space for Richmond Hill Primary Academy. During a week in July, the students and staff descended upon the primary schools and turned an empty grassed area into a dynamic and interesting outdoor learning space for Key Stage 1 children. The students created areas such as; The Lily Pad Lagoon, Hanging Hideaway, Critters Castle, Lazy Days Hammock, Music Maestros Board, Fairy-tale Firepit and Discovery Entrance.
The project was sponsored by Ardagh Group.
Thankyou to the following businesses for their donations of resources and time: Barratt Homes, Crest Nicholson, Simplas, Johnstone Paints, Twisted Knot, LAC Shop Fitting, TCV, CAF Rail and Applaud BC.
If you would like to be involved in the Community Action Project 2025 please contact Mike Peebles, Chief Commercial Officer mpeebles@harrisoncollege.co.uk
The staff at Richmond Hill Primary Academy have been wanting to develop our outdoor provision in order to provide wider opportunities that support the development of children’s problem solving, risk taking and social and emotional development. Being a low funded school meant that the staff chose to seek support from parents and large companies who could donate funds and/or resources that could support the development of a forest school area.
Harrison College kindly got in touch with myself to discuss the possibility of allowing their students to help design, fund, source and build this area, in collaboration with us. As a school, we felt that this was a perfect match, as the children at Richmond Hill would be gaining a fantastic new outdoor area and in turn we would be giving the students of Harrison College the opportunity of a placement whereby they can develop entrepreneurial skills that can support future career paths. This aligned perfectly with our schools’ ethos of providing opportunities for all and allowing us the opportunity to give something back to the community.
We are absolutely thrilled with the result and can’t wait to let our children explore the area further!
Thanks
Kelly Cousins
Head of School
