A REDDITCH school is looking to the great outdoors to teach its students some important lesson for life.
Ridgeway Academy, which is transitioning from a middle school to a secondary school, has received almost £9,000 in funding from the Big Lottery to continue its garden renovation project.
The school, which already has sheep, pygmy goats and a school dog to encourage youngsters to spend time outside and learn about taking care of animals, is working toward creating a larger outdoor space, with raised flower beds and a vegetable patch.
The grant of £8,938 from the Big Lottery has allowed the school to fence off and prepare the garden area, making it a safe space for children to work in.
Claire Skinner school business manager, said: “We want to focus on ways to improve the school that will benefit all our students, from the youngest Year 5s right through to the sixth-form.
“Spending time outside, learning about where food comes from, animal life-cycles, animal care, team work and shared responsibility – these are all lessons we’re striving to teach outside of the classroom.
“Sometimes we find that children who have more complex needs or those lacking confidence can begin to forge friendships and build confidence when taken out of the classroom to learn. That is the aim of this project.”
Students at the school can enjoy feeding, walking and grooming the animals as they learn teamwork, animal care and organisation skills.
Local businesses have also helped the school realise the plan, with B&M donating compost bins and compost and Buildbase donating sand and materials to provide the goats and sheep with some rougher ground.
The Astwood Bank community is also getting behind the project with funding raised by the Carnival Committee earmarked to help with the next stage which will be to build flower beds and new storage shed.
