(Image: Banks Group)
Pupils with learning disabilities in County Durham are benefiting from a new outdoor learning and birdwatching area funded by a regional employer.
The Oaks Secondary School in Spennymoor has expanded its outdoor learning facilities with a £2,000 grant from The Banks Group after running its Forest School programme for six years.
The Friends of The Oaks School, a registered charity supporting pupils and their families, secured the funding.
Gemma Spence, secretary of the Friends Of The Oaks School, said: "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."
The grant paid for three wheelchair-accessible benches and an interpretative bird information board for inclusive, hands-on learning outdoors.
Ms Spence said: "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."
It is the second year running that The Banks Group has supported the school, after providing a similar grant last year to expand its Forest School programme.
The area will host birdwatching, mindfulness and outdoor-learning sessions, with the school hoping to invite families and the wider community in future.
Pupils helped prepare the field, strengthening their connection with nature.
The Oaks Secondary School has more than 340 pupils and was rated “outstanding” in its last four Ofsted inspections.
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It offers classes tailored to pupils with different physical and learning disabilities.
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: "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."
Point North, formerly the County Durham Community Foundation, independently manages The Banks Group’s community funding scheme.