Croftway Primary School
Case Study from Charlotte Kerr, Deputy Head, Croftway Primary School
“We have a wooded area nearby so we’re trying to do more of our own small scale forest school. However when you get there and then there’s nothing for them to sit on this can be difficult. The cushions in the ‘Learn About Nature’ collection in particular are an ideal solution - just the design feature of the handle means that you can move and carry them making them so versatile.
“We’ve also got outside areas that we’re developing but again it needs to be comfortable for children to actually learn in so the fact that these are really comfy seats and can be used outdoors is a real plus. Then from an inside perspective we are trying to bring some of the outside inside for the children. From our point of view it’s great to have those printed textures visually in the classroom because they are so realistic!
“We have different sensory needs in the classroom as well. I know for some children in my class the foam bench is ideal because it’s such a solid and secure product which they would enjoy. I think our special needs children and entire classes would benefit from and enjoy using these products. We also have a nurture room where children go when necessary. We’re developing our nurture room and looking for the resources that fit the children’s needs. These soft furnishings are all quite calming resources and for a lot of our children it is about getting the right calming atmosphere for them to be able to access learning.
“I think nature is such a popular theme because it meets primary aged children’s curiosity and it’s something that they all know and have experience of. An awful lot of the books they read at KS1 and 2 have a thread of nature through them, so if you wanted to do drama or role play or anything creativity-wise with them – nature is the common thread that they understand so it’s great for prompting their imagination.
“At this age, children’s imaginations are fabulous if you can give them something to link their ideas to and I know if I was to take the ‘Learn About Nature’ collection into my class right now they would just be so excited!”