A school near Penrith has found a new way of boosting their pupils mental health. Pupils and staff at Yanwath Primary School held a grand opening of their brand-new nurture garden, which has been named the ‘Wild West’, on Friday April 30. The new outdoor learning space is aimed at boosting the mental health of pupils by giving them a space to learn, play and explore at the same time. The idea for the garden came to light after teachers and staff noticed that the mental health of the children had deteriorated after returning to school from lockdown. Yanwath Primary teacher, Matthew Crouch, said: “We had some children who came back and were really anxious about being back in a classroom and just stepping away from their parents.
02/05/2021
Pupils and staff at Yanwath School, near Penrith, officially opened the garden on Friday.
Following the latest national lockdown, the staff at Yanwath planned to adapt the curriculum to incorporate more outdoor education.
They noticed that in some cases, childrenâs mental health and wellbeing had deteriorated and so they wanted to create an outdoor space that would help to promote positive mental health and would allow children the opportunity to learn outdoors.
The transformation of the land was made possible by the support of the schoolsâ PTA and donations from several local businesses.
From donations of bark to a free shed, fencing and labour to flower beds and vegetable planters, local businesses have donated in abundance to support the vision of the staff and parents.