The classroom is a simple, corrugated sloping plastic roof shelter, supported by six upright pillars, set in a wood sleeper surrounded resin and hardcore baseplate. See figure 1 for details:

Figure 1 – The completed build phase of the SVS outdoor Classroom, July 2025

Additional work that has been carried out, that has been added to the outdoor space, funded by the Nationwide grant, includes a guttering on the rear of the shelter to divert rainwater. This was installed using SVS’s own site team staff, in order to save money. A water butt is due to be connected to this system, to harvest rainwater for use as part of an outdoor hand wash, which will be added as a later project for a future outdoor education cohort from SVS.

To the rear of the classroom, students and staff have created a similar, scaled down, structure to provide a wood and outdoor cloakroom facility, again using Nationwide grant funds for the materials, and pupils and staff for the build. This feature is due to be completed in the weeks approaching Christmas Break 2025.

Figure 2 – Outdoor woodstore and cloakroom build project - SVS staff and pupils, Sept 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first real opportunity to use the space, as a classroom, was in late July of 2025, when we hosted a total of around 60 11-14 year olds, from across Severn Vale School, for a spoon carving workshop. This was an alternative activity initiative introduced as part of SVS’s more traditional, annual sports day. The classroom allowed us to create an outdoor stage area where demonstrations and instruction could take place, while the pupils carved their own wooden spoons, which they all loved having the opportunity to do.

Members of staff from our Health & Social Care department have also used the space as a demonstration model for GCSE pupils. Pupils were able to evaluate the space for possible safety concerns and features, allowing them to progress through the development of their own outdoor play space for early years children. Pupils found this a really useful activity which allowed them to visualise their own creation as part of their course work.

Our weekly outdoor education, internal alternative provision, intervention regularly uses the classroom and surrounding area for outdoor learning, including whittling with Bushcraft knives, creating fire using traditional methods, shelter building in the woods, or as detailed in figure 2 photos, rudimentary construction projects. Having a sheltered area to conduct this sort of outdoor learning, in all weathers, has proven to be incredibly powerful in helping some pupils improve their self-esteem, self-confidence, self-awareness, their ability to regulate and appreciate a very different way of learning.

Since it’s completion, it is estimated that over 100 pupils from SVS have benefited from the outdoor classroom. Once the project is fully completed, the facility will be offered to those primary schools that feed SVS annual secondary intakes.