Village pupils love their new outdoor classroom

Ab Kettleby School pupils enjoy their new outdoor classroom

Pupils and staff at a village primary school have been dreaming of having an outdoor classroom where they can hold nature learning sessions and it has now become reality.

The impressive new facility is now being used by the 62 youngsters who attend Ab Kettleby Primary School following a £13,000 fundraising campaign by Friends of Ab Kettleby School (FOAKS).

The outdoor classroom has been built on an ideal spot in the school grounds which is surrounded by a wooded area for the children to enjoy nature to the fullest.

There are also plans to clear out a nearby disused pond and transform it into a small garden to attract bees and other wildlife, thanks to a welcome financial contribution from the Tesco Community Project.

Ab Kettleby School's new outdoor classroom

Andrea Brown, the school’s headteacher, said: “I am thrilled and awed by the amazing hard work that went into this project.

"Within Mowbray Education Trust we are committed to providing the best support and opportunities for our children, and the new outdoor classroom is a fabulous addition to this aim.

“The new outdoor classroom has given our children something we could only ever dream of, and it is certainly the perfect setting to learn about nature.

"We are tremendously grateful to the FOAKs Committee for their tireless fundraising efforts to bring this wonderful idea to fruition.”

Ab Kettleby School pupils thank the fundraisers for their new outdoor classroom

Members of FOAKS raised the money over 14 months, with a series of fundraising initiatives including summer fairs, a Christmas tombola, weekly cake raffles, weekly film clubs and wreath making workshops, as well as some very generous donations from Arnold Clark Community Fund and the East Midlands Airport Community Fund.

The school worked with Playscape Playgrounds to construct the classroom, which pupils and staff cannot wait to make full use of during the warmer weather of the summer term.

Jodie Creeden, chair of FOAKS, said: “I am so proud of everyone involved in this project – parents, the wider families, teachers, and the community who have all made extremely generous contributions of funds, time and effort.

“The whole team, along with the children, had so much fun and made fabulous memories along the way.

"At Ab Kettleby, we are more of a family than a school and it was our absolute pleasure to achieve this dream for the children to enjoy.”