School creates fire pit shelter to encourage outdoor cooking and learning

A member of staff at Highgate Hill House School, a co-educational school for children with special educational needs aged 5 to 16 years, near Holsworthy, has created an outdoor classroom area, complete with fire pit and shelter.

Pupils already enjoy regular opportunities to take part in outdoor learning thanks to the school’s enviable location close to woodland, the North Cornwall coastline and moorland, but Outdoor Learning Instructor Ollie Norton has taken it one step further by creating an outdoor classroom in the school’s own garden.

Ollie said: “As a school we encourage our pupils to learn outside of the classroom, making the most of the beautiful countryside we have around us. The school garden is a favourite space for many of our pupils because it’s so quiet and peaceful, we regularly get together for lessons out there, but the weather is not always on our side! It made perfect sense to create a classroom space that we can use to get groups together, cooking, learning and creating a general sense of community, whatever the weather”.

Chair of School, Dr Julie Smith added: “Sitting around the fire, learning, listening, making and sharing food, is a wonderfully communal and often magical experience for children. As well as being able to relax and feel the warmth of the fire, our new fire pit shelter is also a great opportunity for the children to learn about fire safety”.

For more information about Highgate Hill House School, please visit www.hhhschool.co.uk, email headteacher@hhhschool.co.uk or call 01288 341998.