A New Outdoor Classroom Comes to Life

We are delighted to unveil our brand-new roundhouse outdoor classroom – a special space designed and built collaboratively by pupils, parents and staff within our woodland grounds in Elsfield.

The exciting project was led by Forest School Leader SallyAnn Ritchie and created to support and enhance the school’s outdoor learning programme.

Over several months, members of the school community dedicated their time and energy to building the roundhouse using materials sourced from the school’s extensive woodland areas. Throughout the process, pupils developed a wide range of valuable life skills including teamwork, engineering, coppicing, sustainable building methods, woodland management and problem solving.

The completed roundhouse will now serve as a dedicated outdoor learning space where pupils can connect with nature while continuing their studies across a range of subjects.

The project reflects the school’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, both within the curriculum and wider school life. Outdoor learning already plays a key role across the school through Forest School lessons for younger pupils, the Outdoor programme for ages 11 to 14 and the Duke of Edinburgh programme for older students.

The launch of the roundhouse also marks an important milestone in the school’s journey towards achieving Green Flag status – a national accreditation recognising schools for their environmental efforts and commitment to sustainability.

Pupils on the Eco Council, overseen by Eco Council Leader Lizzie Lloyd, have been leading a number of initiatives to encourage environmental responsibility throughout the school community.

Recent projects have included monthly litter picks, expanded recycling facilities for food waste, whiteboard pens and glue sticks, and campaigns encouraging pupils to switch off lights in empty classrooms to help reduce energy use.

Pupils have also been supporting local biodiversity by planting trees and installing bird feeders around the school grounds.

Looking ahead, the school plans to introduce further sustainability initiatives in 2026, including a recycling partnership with the Salvation Army to help divert clothes from landfill, as well as taking part in No Mow May.

Katie Townsend, Headteacher, said:

“We are extremely pleased to launch our new roundhouse outdoor classroom. We have always focused on outdoor learning, with teachers regularly conducting lessons such as maths and science outdoors. The roundhouse now provides us with a dedicated space to hold these lessons and our pupils can be fully immersed in the subjects they are learning about.

“An incredible amount of work has gone into creating the roundhouse, with pupils, parents and staff dedicating their weekends over several months to complete the project. I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved.

“The school community is extremely excited to get outdoors and use the space, and it is a real step forward as we look to achieve Green Flag status.”

We are incredibly proud of everyone who contributed to the project and look forward to seeing pupils enjoy and learn in the new space for years to come.