A young professional footballer from Bradley Stoke returned to his former primary school in mid-July to officially open a new climbing equipment area and an ‘outdoor classroom’ for Reception age pupils.
Joe Morrell, 21, a member of the Bristol City FC squad who has also recently played in League Two for Cheltenham Town (on loan), visited Holy Trinity Primary School on its annual sports day (15th July) to ceremonially cut a ribbon and declare the new facilities open.
The all-weather climbing equipment has been installed on part of the school’s playing field and includes a climbing wall, turning balance log and swinging grips. The aim of this is to promote agility, balance and coordination opportunities that are accessible to all ages of children.
Reception teacher Sarah Pope explained:
“This year we have been working towards our bronze ‘Health in Schools’ award and have been aiming to increase activity levels of all children. The pupils have been very excited to watch the area taking shape and are very keen to use the new equipment.”
Speaking about the Reception outdoor classroom, she added:
“The area was in need of updating and in need of a complete overhaul to create a fantastic learning environment for our youngest children. Our explicit aim was to create an outdoor learning environment with open-ended resources that provides the same opportunities that are available in the classroom. It obviously lends itself to a more active approach to learning. This is the first stage in the redevelopment of our Early Years provision and it will be followed with an update of the indoor classrooms during the summer holidays. We are delighted with the result!”
Photos – Top: Former pupil Joe Morrell cuts a ribbon on one of the new pieces of climbing equipment. Middle: Pupils try out the new equipment, watched by Joe. Above: Overview of the play area.
This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 39). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
