Coddington Church of England Primary School, Coddington inaugurates its new Friendship Garden and Outdoor Classroom

A primary school celebrated the grand opening of its innovative £25,000 space which aims to help educate pupils on renewable energy and sustainability.

Coddington Church of England Primary School held an event on Friday (March 28) to celebrate its new Friendship Garden and Outdoor Classroom.

The new space, which has been in the school sights since the end of 2023, features an eco-bike, solar panel, wind turbine, and a rainwater collection system.

Ahead of the launch event, the school held a competition to design a poster promoting the new outdoor space.

Nine pupils participated in the contest, and they — along with their parents — were invited to attend the children’s grand opening ceremony at 9am. Other parents were invited to see the space from 3pm.

Winnie Taylor, who won the competition, had the honour of cutting the ribbon to open the space and had the chance to be the first pupil to try the eco-bike, symbolising the project’s emphasis on renewable energy.

The project was led by the Friends of Coddington School, chaired by Natalie Henstock, and supported by the school’s headteacher, Rebecca Major.

Funding came from various sources, including the Newark and Sherwood Community Grant Scheme, which awarded a match funding grant of just under £9,000 and a BUPA grant dedicated to developing the sensory garden area.

Natalie highlighted the importance of providing outdoor learning opportunities that focus on renewable energy.

She added: “We invested in something that would teach them more about renewable energy for the future.

“There’s different aspects with the solar panel, the wind turbine, the bike and the electric panel, and obviously the water bot.”

She also emphasised the significance of the community’s contributions through fundraising efforts from 2023 to 2024, which included summer fairs, Christmas raffles, school discos and the school’s lottery.

The Friends of Coddington achieved charity status by raising £5,000, allowing them to apply for grants, including the BUPA grant that aided the sensory garden’s development.

The total cost of the project was approximately £25,000.

“It was something we talked about as a big fundraising project so that the school community could see their money being invested into something big that would stand out to parents,” added Natalie.

The garden was built by Matt Taylor, the school’s site manager and father of poster competition winner Wenny Taylor.

Matt, who also runs his own landscaping business — Taylor Landscaping — brought professional expertise to the project and was proud of both the project and his daughter winning the competition.

The Friendship Garden will be integrated into the school’s curriculum, providing opportunities for lessons in subjects such as PSHE, reading and art.

Each class will have a dedicated time slot to enjoy the space so that every child in the school has access to it.

Headteacher Rebecca Major was proud of the collaborative effort and its benefits for the children’s education and wellbeing.

She added: “The sense of community and the children understanding that if we come together, we can really make a difference.

“This space will enhance children's education, but also their wellbeing.”