Publication Date: 28-09-2022 09:00
Outdoor learning space completed at primary school in Herne Bay
A primary school in Herne Bay has transformed an overgrown garden into a new ecological learning area with the support of a local homebuilder.
Briary Primary School teamed up with Bellway to turn an unkempt vegetable garden, which had become unsafe after being left unattended during lockdown, into an open-air learning space complete with wooden seats.
The on-site staff from Bellway’s Oxenden Park development, which neighbours the school in Greenhill Road, volunteered to work on the project in partnership with contractors Kingsheath Construction and Yorke and Sons Fencing.
Together they have removed the dilapidated shed and weeded the overgrown shrubbery which had occupied the area. They have also replaced the old planters and fencing while making room for the school’s children to grow new trees, vegetables, and flowers. Meanwhile, the pupils planted saplings of 30 different types in buckets, which have now been moved to the garden.
The seats and benches which sit there now were carved from the wood of a giant tree that was felled by a storm at Bellway’s Hinxhill Park development in Ashford. They were built by Lee Rowbottom at Fellgrove, based in Maidstone.
Lucy Dillon, a Year 6 teacher from the school, who initiated the plan to work with Bellway, said: “It is amazing to see the garden as it stands now given that it used to be covered with thick and thorny bramble before we began this project with Bellway.
“Thanks to their help, we have been able to make this area safe for our students again. There is also a lot more space in the garden now that the shed has been removed and the rubbish has been cleared.
“In addition to the seats in the garden, Bellway has also provided us with new sports kits, storage boxes, flasks, and cups which our students can use in their camping activities.
“We are also planning outdoor lessons in the garden to teach our children to identify and distinguish different species of birds, insects and plants.
“We could not have used this space for all these activities without Bellway’s efforts and so we are very grateful to them for volunteering to help us with this project.”
Yasmin Graham, Sales Manager from Bellway Kent, said: “We were keen to help Briary Primary School in restoring their garden because it will make a real and tangible difference in the learning experience of the children who study there – and the school is right on the doorstep of our forthcoming Oxenden Park development.
“We strive to play an active role in supporting schools near the homes we are building to enhance the facilities available for local children and this was a wonderful project for our staff and contractors to be involved in.
It was also lovely to see the giant tree which came down in storms at Hinxhill Park to be repurposed to create new seating for the pupils.”
Bellway is building 450 new homes at Oxenden Park, including 315 homes for private sale and 135 affordable homes available for local people through shared ownership or low-cost rent.
To find out more, call the sales team on 01227 647968 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/kent/oxenden-park.
