Mayor of Melton opens primary school's impressive new outdoor learning space
Pupils and staff at Frisby CofE Primary School were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Melton to officially open their newly-refurbished school pond and forest school area.
Councillor Jim Adcock’s visit marked a special milestone for the school following the successful ‘Fresh Face of Frisby’ project, which saw members of the school and village community come together with staff from Allison Homes over the summer to transform the school’s outdoor spaces.
During his visit, the Mayor explored the newly refreshed areas and heard about the exciting plans the school has for using the space to support outdoor learning, forest school activities, environmental education and pupil-led projects.
Charmaine Ainge, headteacher at the Frisby-on-the-Wreake school, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome the Mayor of Melton to Frisby CofE Primary School and have him officially open our newly-refurbished pond and forest school area.
"We are extremely grateful that he took the time to visit us, see the transformation for himself and hear about our plans for the future.
“The project has been a fantastic example of what can be achieved when a community comes together.
"We are incredibly proud of our school and our village, and we are so excited about the opportunities these outdoor spaces will now provide for our pupils.”
The ‘Fresh Face of Frisby’ project involved volunteers getting stuck into a variety of jobs, including weeding, digging, raking, painting fences and maintaining the outdoor areas.
The hard work of the school community, local residents and Allison Homes staff has created a welcoming environment ready for children to explore and learn in.
While the newly refurbished pond and forest school area are now ready to be enjoyed, the school is already looking ahead to how the space can be developed further.
Future plans include establishing a pupil eco-team, introducing beekeeping and potentially harvesting the school’s very own honey.
The school also hopes to grow its own fruit, vegetables and other produce, giving pupils the opportunity to harvest ingredients and use them in recipes.
These activities will support children's understanding of nature, biodiversity, sustainability, food production and healthy living, while providing valuable hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom.