Landscape update

A Beautiful New Look for Old Basing Infant School

We have been making some improvements to Old Basing Infant School over the summer.

Like all well-used properties, the site has some slightly tired looking corners and some ineffective, problematic spots. A team of staff, governors and volunteers began working hard to put an extensive plan into action 2 years ago, which aimed to greatly improve multiple aspects of the way children, staff, parents and visitors see, and use, the school and its grounds. So far we have:

• Replaced and extended the balance trail
• Set up beehives
• Replaced the playground markings
• Implemented the use of our small ‘woodland’ area at the top of the school field
• Removed old shrubs and provided planting areas for the Year 1 classes
• Planted beds with plants to attract insects and provide food for bees
• Provided Year R with raised beds for planting
• Built a new deck area by the pond
• Developed a range of new resources for outdoor learning for  Year R
• Applied successfully for two grants which will provide more resources for outdoor learning

Over the summer we have:

• provided a more welcoming entrance area and a more logical access system to the site
• developed a much wider pathway past the Year 2 classrooms, around to the back of the school, including a stepped area for sitting and outdoor learning
• extended the playground area with improved fencing
• improved the security of the site by adding new fencing at the front of the school, for the playground and around the pond
• begun to develop a wild flower meadow at the bottom of the playground - thanks to Mr Bowman for his ideas and hard work on this particular project

If you haven’t already visited our Landscape Strategy page on the school website, we encourage you to take a look. There will be more exciting improvements to follow the work listed above.

We hope to make our school the most valuable asset to the local community that it can be! If you have any ideas or suggestions that you think the school would like to hear, please do let us know. In a few years’ time, it is very much hoped that an extra building will be constructed at the school, within the trees which run adjacent to the main school car park. This building would provide an important additional multi-purpose teaching and learning space and a great home for our extended services, but would also hopefully be available to hire for villagers to use for classes, groups and parties etc. The school will provide a majority of the funds for this project, but hopes to ask for financial assistance from local businesses and supporters too. We are currently seeking help

from anyone with Grant Application experience, or anybody with fundraising experience (particularly ‘Crowdfunding’) to join our team... might you be able to help us? Know someone who could? We’d LOVE to hear from you! Thank you!

Please contact Angela Simmons, Chair of the Governors’ Resources Committee, via the school office if you are interested in helping us