The outdoor classroom is called The Discovery Den as voted by the school’s pupils and was officially opened by the Mayor of Northampton Cllr Paul Joyce on Friday (March 21st) thanks to a fundraising campaign by the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
The space will be used to hold lessons outdoors and for extra-curricular activities, and will complement the school’s existing Forest School, which allows the children to learn about nature and try a range of outdoor activities.
Head of School Gill Glenn said: “Our new outdoor classroom is a fantastic addition to our learning environment here at Hardingstone Academy and will allow us to extend our lessons beyond the traditional classroom setting.
“Outdoor learning brings a wealth of benefits, making lessons more dynamic and bringing the curriculum to life. Being outside also has significant mental health and physical benefits.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to our PTA for their amazing fundraising efforts, which has made this dream a reality, and to Cllr Joyce for cutting the ribbon at our official opening event.”
