Mayor and Deputy Lieutenant unveil outdoor classroom at Tipton primary school
The Mayor of Sandwell has officially opened a new outdoor classroom and garden area at a primary school in Tipton.
Funded by The Rivers CofE Academy Trust, the new outdoor cabin and garden area have been created to help improve the outdoor learning environment for children at the school.
As an extension of the forest school area, the facility allows for older year groups, who don’t currently use the forest school, to get outside and utilise the great outdoors.
Summerhill Primary Academy welcomed the mayor alongside the Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands, Dr M Sakhawat Hussain DL, on Monday for the unveiling of the new facilities.
The Mayor and Deputy Lieutenant were welcomed by children from the school’s eco-committee, who have been responsible for planting wildflowers in the new garden space.
Pupils were very impressed by the new outdoor structure and were looking forward to lessons in the outdoor classroom and gardening in the newly built raised beds.
During the official opening, the mayor met with children from the eco-school and stayed for the school’s summer fayre, a community event supported by the local secondary school, Q3 Academy Tipton, and other local services.
Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Bill Gavan, said: "I was delighted to open the new wooden classroom and eco unit. This is an amazing space and most important the children involved love it. Happy kids, happy days."
Eco-committee leader Mrs Hughes has great plans for the new garden space, and said: "We will be setting up a gardening club and plan to grow fruit and vegetables”.
After the opening, pupils from the school eco-committee were presented with certificates and books as a thank you for their involvement in a local ‘Love Tipton’ litter-picking event organised in partnership with community organisations Tibby Tenants and Residents Association and Sandwell Council.
