Grant funds equipment for schoolchildren to see nature up close
Stourport schoolchildren will see nature up close after receiving a £1,500 grant to buy new equipment including magnifying glasses.
Kit including binoculars, giant magnifying lenses and gardening tools, is helping youngsters at St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School deepen their understanding of the natural world.
Through the grant, awarded by the Harmony in Education charity, the nursery class has been making bug houses and wormeries, growing plants and watching caterpillars transform into butterflies.
Nik Furnival, teacher and nursery lead, said: “We have a developed a Harmony curriculum, based around some big questions about how things grow and where we find beauty in the world.
“They use all their senses in discovery, we incorporate texts like the Hungry Caterpillar and fact-finding books and develop young leaders who take responsibilities like watering the plants.
“They are so excited and motivated to learn because there is so much more they can do with the new equipment and we are so lucky to have such a wonderful forest school and other great outdoor areas within our school grounds.
“The impact is tremendous. They are learning so much about life cycles and how to care for nature, learning new language and gaining greater understanding.”
The grant has also paid for chalkboards, orienteering equipment, a discovery table, drawstring bags and a wellie rack.
