Walsall pupils celebrate end of outdoor learning project with visit to community garden
Pupils from more than a dozen Walsall schools have come together to celebrate the end of a 15-month project which saw them take their learning outdoors.
The "My School, My Planet" initiative sees children from disadvantage backgrounds learn how their actions can have have an impact on the environment.
Around 300 pupils from 16 Walsall schools signed up to take part in the project which was launched by Learning through Landscapes, a charity which promotes outdoor learning.
In addition to learning about climate change, participating schools worked with community groups which resulted in farm visits and an introduction to honey making.
The project, which was the first of its kind to be launched regionally, also saw improvements made to school grounds and green spaces in the hopes of attracting wildlife.
Verity Singleton, teacher and senior management member at Pinfold Street Primary School in Darlaston, said: "The children have gained a wider awareness of our planet and understood more about the environment and our impact on it.
"They are proud to share what they have learned and the green space they have created in our school and they really look forward to the My School My Planet sessions."
On Thursday, teachers and youngsters from the participating schools were joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Walsall at Goscote Greenacres, a community garden in the town, to celebrate the programme coming to an end.
Emily Kinsey, co-headteacher at Palfrey Junior School, said: We wanted a pond, we wanted a sensory garden, we wanted to be able to grow plants and vegetables, so this project has given us the opportunity to do that.
"When I see the children in the corridor, they say, 'Miss, Miss when is our next My School, My Planet day outside', and that says it all really."
Carley Sefton, CEO at Learning through Landscapes, described the project as having been a "great success".
She said: "The Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have not only embraced the opportunity to enhance their surroundings, but have also become catalysts for change.
"They are proactively addressing the pressing issue of climate change and also transforming their school grounds into vibrant, eco-friendly sanctuaries, benefitting both the local wildlife and their fellow students.
"These young leaders are on a mission to make a lasting impact, one green initiative at a time, while their teachers are well placed to continue this project with future learners."
The programme was developed with the help of Myvanwy Evans, founder of Louder Than Words, a charity which specialises in cultural communications.
Ms Evans added: "My School My Planet is a vital project for all pupils and especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds as they navigate the increasingly challenging world they live in.
"Our cultural consultancy aims to connect and bring to life the relationship between cultural heritage and natural heritage.
"Walsall pupils have been learning outdoors about their local community, their culture and natural environment, this has empowered them and given them a much deeper connection to the planet and their place in it."
The project was made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Swire Charitable Trust.
