Spennymoor school pupils getting closer to nature in new birdwatching area

Pupils at a County Durham school for young people with learning disabilities are finding out more about local birdlife thanks to a second four-figure grant from a regional employer.

The Oaks Secondary School in Spennymoor has included a Forest School initiative in its curriculum for the last six years, with pupils spending classroom time learning a range of new skills outdoors and building their connection with the natural environment.

The school has now opened up a large area of land adjacent to its Forest School site which it will use for both birdwatching sessions with the children and also for open air mindfulness and relaxation activities.

Pupils have been involved in preparing the field for its new uses and the school is hoping to be able to invite their families and local people to take part in lessons and activities in the new outdoor space.

The Friends Of The Oaks School, a registered charity which provides social activities for pupils at the school and their families, secured a £2,000 grant from the Banks Group which has paid for the installation of three wheelchair-accessible benches that pupils can use during their visits to the site.

And the funding has also covered the cost of an interpretative board that features information on many of the birds that are found in the area, so that pupils can easily identify them during their outdoor lessons.

It’s the second time that Banks has supported the Friends’ work, with a separate £2,000 grant given last year paying for the equipment and resources needed to expand its outdoor learning and Forest School programme.

The Oaks Secondary School offers a diverse and enriched curriculum for over 340 pupils and has been rated as outstanding in each of its last four OFSTED assessments.

It provides a number of different class models which ensure that individual pupils’ learning needs are met with respect to their different physical and learning disabilities.

Gemma Spence, secretary of the Friends Of The Oaks School, says: “The positive learning outcomes, impacts on pupils’ behaviour and feedback from families we get from working outdoors are hugely valued by the school, and we often find that those who can exhibit the most challenging behaviours in the classroom can be the most engaged in the open air.

“Extending our outdoor provision into this new area will enable us to do even more in this respect, and we know that there are lots of birds and animals in and around the field that we’ll be able to see and learn about.

“Putting the wheelchair-accessible benches in place ensures our sessions are accessible to everyone, while the interpretative board will mean the pupils will be able to identify and learn about the birds that they’re seeing straight away.

“With so many different costs for the school to cover, this project would have been out of reach without the funding we’ve had from the Banks Group and we’re really grateful for their continuing support.”

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: "The Oaks School sets a great example for how outdoor learning opportunities can deliver real benefits for its pupils and we’re very pleased to be extending our support for their excellent work.”

The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).