St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy

At St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy, Norton the well-being of our children is paramount, the pandemic has been an immensely difficult time for many of our children. Since the children have returned to school after lockdown, we have encouraged outdoor learning to happen as often as possible, as we know that spending time outdoors is essential to promote positive mental health.

We are fortunate to have extensive outdoor grounds at St. Josephs, at the moment we have an area which we want to turn into a ‘sensory garden’- a Garden of Hope. Spending time in a sensory garden can help enhance your sense of wellbeing, reduce stress and calm your mind. As you can see in the photographs we have some beautiful trees, with old benches and some planters, we desperately need to develop this further.

We want to make a sensory garden which stimulates and engages the five basic senses of sight, smell, sound, touch and taste, through having;

• diverse plants: colour, shape, size, texture and patterns.
• aromatic plants and herbs; jasmine, lavender, rosemary, mint and sage.
• trickling water from a water feature.
• a bird bath to create reflections and attract wildlife.
• crunchy gravel, or small or large stones to create contrasting sounds.
• a seating area to sit back, relax and admire. 

Whilst the skills of teachers are endless, designing and making a sensory garden definitely requires some specialist input to help us achieve our dream!

Many thanks for considering our application, we look forward to hearing from you.