Barratt David Wilson Homes has formed a three-way partnership with Haven Nook, a Special Educational Needs School and part of the Tuition Extra Education Service, and Communigrow, a sustainable food education charity, to support green outdoor learning close by to its Saxon Fields and The Woodlands developments in Canterbury, Kent.
Learning beyond the classroom has a wide range of benefits for pupils of all learning abilities, improving academic performance, enhancing personal and social development, boosting wellbeing and mental health and increasing engagement.
As part of Haven Nook’s education programme for neurodivergent students aged 11 to 18 years with social, emotional and mental needs, the school provides a selection of facilities to form different learning opportunities outside the classroom.
To boost the students’ eco-conscious education, Haven Nook recently introduced a new horticulture division at its Maypole Farm site in Hoath, installing polytunnels at its forest school to further encourage outdoor learning and interest in nature.
To support this type of education, Barratt David Wilson Kent donated compost to fill the polytunnels ready for the installation of plants, which were sourced from Communigrow.
Jamie Pickles from Haven Nook said: “Many of our students enjoy spending time at our forest school, where they can learn outdoors and develop new skills, whilst gaining support for their social and emotional needs.
“We decided to open a horticulture division to expand and progress their learning around biodiversity, inspiring the idea of polytunnels.
“Thanks to Barratt David Wilson Kent, we have been able to fill the raised beds in the polytunnels with fresh compost and a variety of plants, which the students can watch grow and learn about the life cycles.”
Naomi Jenkins from Communigrow added: “At Communigrow, we show children, young people and adults how to grow fresh food in a chemical-free, sustainable way, which benefits physical and mental wellbeing in harmony with the natural environment.
“When Barratt David Wilson Kent got in touch with us to help support Haven Nook with their polytunnels for teaching children with special education needs, we knew this would be a valuable opportunity to be involved with.
“Thanks to the housebuilder’s support, we were able to provide Haven Nook with a selection of plants, including cabbages, tomatoes, beetroots, marigolds, radishes and more, so the students will be able to watch and track their growth and learn about different environments and the benefits of nature.”
Natalie Perry, sales and marketing director at Barratt David Wilson Kent, said: “We know that nature is a vast sensory playground, which is why Haven Nook’s polytunnel project stood out to us as a project to get involved with.
“It was great to see this project come to life with the help of Communigrow and to continue our relationships with both the school and charity.
“It just goes to show how building strong connections with the local community can last and be further enhanced through collaborating on other projects.
“We hope that the pupils of Haven Nook will be able to enjoy this new addition to their learning and are excited to see the school’s new horticulture division take shape!”
