Broomhaugh Church of England First School
Northumberland
At Broomhaugh Church of England First school we value all learning and we believe the great outdoors is one of the richest classrooms on offer.
If we are successful in obtaining a grant from the Bright Ideas Funds we would like to use the money to develop and create our Early Years Sensory Garden.
A sensory garden is a space which has been designed to stimulate and indulge all five senses, using plants, flowers, light and sound to create a completely immersive experience. The sensory garden will be a fabulous way to help our pupils learn through play and interaction. We aim to create an outside area within our Early Years space that will engage our children and be a wonderful environment for all to enjoy.
Alongside exploring senses we will also be developing opportunities to explore plant life cycles, learn about the seasons, and study insects and other wildlife up close.
Sensory gardens are also very beneficial for children with autism and those with sensory processing needs. Our garden will offer a safe, controlled environment, which can be used to support our mindfulness allowing all to thrive.
Specialised plants, containers, gardening tools will need to be bought / acquired. We hope to visit established sensory gardens with our older children who will then have the opportunity to design our initial garden space. We will continually develop and build upon the experiences the area has to offer and this will be an ever evolving area.