Great Barr schoolchildren to be taught in teepees
Vulnerable children at a Great Barr primary school will be taught in an unusual classroom after bosses got the go-ahead for two new teepees.
Meadow View JMI School, in Frampton Way, was granted planning permission by Walsall Council to erect the structures on two different parts of its playground.
The school said the baby teepees will provide quiet learning areas for pupils who suffer from high anxiety levels and help ensure they develop necessary skills.
One of the structures will replace old play tyres which are set to be removed while the other will be placed in the outdoor lunch seating area, which will mean benches are moved to another part of the playground.
In the application, the school said: “The teepees will provide a quiet learning environment for our most vulnerable children.
“The Tipi Company manufacture British-made large event teepees and accessories for outdoor use. They are durable, reliable and waterproof.
“Two baby teepees will be installed on the two playgrounds; they will be green in colour to blend into the surroundings of the school.
“They will be installed on raised wooden decking with entrance porches and wooden doors. The teepees generally have a life span of 10-13 years.
“The teepees will be used as an alternative, low sensory learning environment to support meeting the needs of pupils with high levels of anxiety due to increased sensory stimuli.
“They will provide alternative learning spaces for pupils with special educational needs, enabling specific interventions/support initiatives to be completed to a high standard; expanding the learning environment to enable pupils to develop skills, including physical, social and academic, across the curriculum via the use of diverse outdoor learning opportunities.
“Developing disadvantaged children’s cultural capital, enabling them to develop skills that can be transferred into the wider world in which they live.”
