If you help run a school as a governor or a staff or PTA member, you may already know that well-kept open-air areas on site aren’t just nice to have. Offer students safe, tidy, accessible and functional outdoor spaces and you can look forward to myriad benefits.
These include, obviously, room for al fresco PE lessons and fresh air at breaks and lunchtimes, as well space for kids to kick a ball, run and skip. Then there are all the mental health benefits of being outside every day, while the links between physical activity and general wellbeing are well known and documented.
Plus there is a knock-on effect in terms of how pupils behave and perform in the classroom.
So how can you make the outside environment at your school more appealing? Here are a few thoughts:
1. Fit some teak planters
If you use planters to grow flowers or shrubs in school, and get the children to help grow them, you enhance wellbeing through stress reduction and greater focus, while having the chance to teach pupils about nature, science, nutrition and more.
You could also have a vegetable garden, which will provide huge pleasure and satisfaction on various levels to everyone involved and, again, expand kids’ appreciation of the natural world as they enjoy being outside.
Going for teak planters yields the added advantages of incredible durability and longevity, plus resistance to insects and weather, with little to no maintenance needed. This wood is a sustainable, renewable resource which repels water and won’t rot, warp, get mouldy or crack. So the smart look of this gorgeous natural material is another bonus.
2. How about a garden room?
If you haven’t previously thought of installing one, a garden room at your school could provide a flexible, sustainable all-year space that’s separate from the main buildings. One of these versatile structures offers far more than a standard outbuilding, and you could use yours in many different ways.
At various points, whether you go for garden rooms Surrey or elsewhere, these structures can become reading sanctuaries, art studios or science labs. Additionally, use to accommodate parent-teacher meetings, community gatherings or staff workshops.
These models provide a stimulating learning environment cost-effectively and flexibly, while supporting holistic and academic development, not to mention a change from the traditional classroom setting.
3. Feel the benefits of an outdoor gym
Indoor PE sessions are, of course, great, but if you fit outdoor gym equipment for schools, with pieces tailored to younger users, you’ll reap a number of unique rewards, including the ability to provide a broader experience of physical activities to students, while raising the profile of fitness across your school.
Pupils get a break from their devices and engage in active play – while enjoying chances to do this throughout the school day. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, will feel the benefit in terms of their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. At the same time, motor skills and communication and social interaction are all enhanced.
With so many ways to improve exterior areas at schools, why not see how what you could do at your own school?
