The outdoor area for Reception pupils at Hayesdown First School has been redesigned and transformed, using funds raised by the school’s PTA.
Following a large amount of fundraising, the PTA were able to give the school a £5,000 donation to focus on redeveloping the outdoor space for its youngest children.
School headteacher, Julia Battersby said, “We are all aware of the importance of outdoor play and learning for young children. We have spent this year focussing on how we would like children to play, developing their collaborative skills, communication, perseverance and imagination.
“By providing a wide range of open-ended resources, we can now allow children to explore and develop these skills and enjoy the natural environment. We can already see the impact on children’s learning and can’t thank the PTA enough for supporting us”
There are now exciting zones to explore in the large, attractive outdoor space including a den building zone, mud kitchen, a construction zone with crates and large wooden block, a space for exploration, imagination area, outdoor music zone and new sand and water areas.
Parents were invited to come along to the grand opening, where children helped Jo, Amy, Charlotte and Terri from the PTA cut the ribbon.
The children then showed parents around the new zones and provided cakes and refreshments they had made at school. The staff team showed how children’s learning had developed with the new opportunities for play and exploration. Laura Donoghue, foundation stage leader said, “We have always had a large outdoor space, but now we have developed its full potential and by having the money from the PTA, we have made our vision a reality.”
Charlotte Cox from the PTA said, “We are delighted to see how well the school has used the funds for the benefit of the children. It has been a fantastic transformation for the children. We would like to thank the whole of the parent community for supporting the events we hold throughout the year.”
The next PTA event is an exciting Scarecrow Trail around the local area for everyone in Frome and the surrounding villages, during the half term holiday. It is the perfect activity for parents to do with children over the half term break – Scarecrow Trail maps can be purchased from Frome Valley Cleaners or at the school office for everyone who would like to take part.
Above right: Members of Hayesdown PTA cutting the ribbon, with children from ladybird and butterfly classes.
