A SCHOOL in Fairford has formally unveiled its new log cabin classroom.

Town mayor Jennie Sanford cut the ribbon this morning, opening the latest addition to Fairford Primary School’s innovative outdoor learning zone.

Julie Fellows, head teacher, speaking at the opening ceremony, said: “The log cabin has been built from its very foundations to the construction of the actual building to all of the resources you see around it by many members of our community.”

Those involved in the project have included the Ernest Cook Trust, ECT, PTA, Bloor Homes, Xylem and School Funds and Lechlade Garden Centre, from donating funds to offering their services.

The opening ceremony was combined with an annual event to “say thank you to everyone that has helped the school every year. So there are lots of parents and local community members and governors etcetera here today,” said Mrs Fellows.

The woodland outdoor learning zone has been a two-year project instigated by the head and includes a woodland trail, log fire pit and mud kitchen.

The cabin itself is surrounded by equipment sheds for chosen subjects, including maths, reading and dress-up.

“This is our own interpretation of a forest school, but more of a curriculum-based space,” said Rachel Cotton, deputy head teacher.

“The science that is going to go on is amazing. We have lots of science resources in the cabin. We do art in nature, everything is covered really. All the children get to benefit, from reception to year six.

“Before the cabin was here it was literally just a woodland and then it’s layered up slowly. We started to bring in the fire pit and the logs and then obviously the log cabin. Pupils still used it [before the cabin], but not as effectively as we do now. It was more learning through play.”

She said the introduction of the cabin, effectively a hub for the school’s outdoor learning programme, means there is far more freedom and can be used in all weathers.

“We’re not going to timetable it, we don’t want to pigeon hole it and take away the creativity,” she added.

When the outdoor classroom was first introduced, it was mostly used by Kevin Easey, a former secondary school teacher brought in two years ago by the head to lead various pupils “who needed work on their relationship skills” – something the cabin will enhance.

He said: “We do problem solving, we built things like bug hotels and this year things like bird boxes. We build dens. It’s a variety of things, so what we were doing last year and this year, but now with all the new stuff, there’s tons more potential.”

He said he was impressed with how generous the community has been during the project.

“Amy Yorke [service centre manager at A-Plant in Swindon], when we first started this project two years ago, she came along and supplied us with a very friendly digger driver, all free of charge and levelled it all off for us so we could get started. If it wasn’t for her it would have taken us weeks to dig it out.”

Yvonne Bennetts, chair of governors, said: “We’ve got a very active governing body behind us. Julia has wanted to do this for a while and then it’s about raising money, because obviously you need money assigned to the school budget to be able to fund something as ambitious as this.

“Julie raised enough money to put up the log cabin. Then it was about approaching people to do specific things so that we could deliver real, outdoor education. Those who aren’t as switched on or excited about learning in the classroom, certainly are down here.”