Arnold View Primary School had already made incredible strides to develop nature connection in their pupils and encourage wildlife to their school grounds before reaching out to me. Awards for the RSPB Wild Challenge, Woodland Trust Green Tree and status as a Plastic Clever School were just some of their incredible accomplishments before I met with them to discuss how they could become part of a Wilder Nottinghamshire.
WILDSchools – How Arnold View Primary School are Showcasing a Wilder Nottinghamshire
Wilder Nottinghamshire Officer KT Smith shares her experiences meeting Arnold View Primary School and what they are doing to create a Wilder Nottinghamshire
Arnold View Primary School is proudly part of the Eco-School programme.
Indeed, one of the first things I spotted upon my first visit back in March last year was the Eco-School Green Flag fluttering proudly at the entrance. Whilst initially I considered what further suggestions I could make for further improvements on site, a tour of the school by Headteacher Mrs Otterburn and members of the School Council was both inspiring and encouraging.
Though situated just a short walk from Arnold town centre, the school had great potential to increase biodiversity onsite. Though that’s not to say the school hadn’t already made changes – I was pleased to find a wildlife pond, hedgehog house and bug hotel to mention just a few improvements!
An amazing bug hotel - perfect for insects!
The School Council were extremely enthusiastic about making the school more sustainable and were only too happy to be involved in suggesting further improvements. Pupils enjoying their break outside greeted me enthusiastically and it filled me with hope to see a few of them gladly giving their time to help maintain the grounds – wheelbarrows full of woodchips were being transported to a shed and wildflower seeds were being sowed in path margins.
What particularly stood out to me was the established Forest School onsite, where Forest School Leader Miss Spencer delivers outdoor learning for early years all the way to key stage 2. Sessions include elements of the National Curriculum alongside woodcraft and nature-based play. Alongside shelter building, pond dipping, and tool use, pupils are actively involved in improving the grounds for wildlife. Established log piles for sheltering insects are found on the outskirts of the Forest School area and pupils have been inspired to make bird homes and bird feeders for the trees dotted around the playing field.
Bird feeders made during Forest School sessions onsite.
“We are very fortunate at Arnold View as we have amazing school grounds ideal for outdoor learning, which we comprehensively use and our children relish learning and exploring in the great outdoors. Our children are so enthusiastic about nature and our environment. We continuously look for and implement ways in which we can improve habitats to support wildlife and our environment. All of us at Arnold View are incredibly proud to have achieved The National Woodland Trust Green Tree School Platinum Award and RSPB Gold Award. We are working with Katie Smith from Nottingham Wildlife Trust for any further advice that we can implement.”- Miss Spencer, Forest School Lead
This eco-ethos is also found inside the school building. In one corridor there is a striking mural made entirely from plastic bottle caps, depicting the threat of plastic waste in the oceans. Practicing what they preach, students and staff have also made great efforts to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill. Whilst you’ll find the typical recycling bins, students and staff also collect printer cartridges, batteries and more. Students have also produced posters encouraging reduced energy usage – there's no stone unturned when it comes to sustainability!
A moving mural made my pupils
The school has shown a true dedication to taking action for nature and have introduced a no-mow area, hibernaculum, miniature bird hides and bird drinking stations.
A recent success of the forest school is the development of a second outdoor mud kitchen area, where Miss Spencer has taken advantage of numerous opportunities for free trees for schools. A hedgerow is being developed along the school fencing, providing shelter and foraging opportunities for birds and invertebrates and an apple orchard provides apples for the children to eat – there's even talk of an apple press!
Pupils enjoying the fruits of the orchard
Arnold View Primary is an incredibly engaged and pro-active school, always looking ahead for the next way to support the local environment, whilst motivating future generations to adopt pro-environmental action. So, what is their hope for the future?
"To enhance our outdoor learning further we have implemented OPAL (Outdoor Play And Learning) to our curriculum. This programme will take approximately eighteen months to fully establish and embed so that our children are accessing all 16 areas of outdoor play and really getting to grips with our beautiful natural environment. OPAL is all about using naturally and man made resources that allow children to be inspired and creative at playtime. The children love to be outdoors and learning at Arnold View." - Caroline Otterburn, Head Teacher
An amazing idea to ensure pupils voices are heard on all things sustainable
Whilst there is no denying the immense work the school has done, small changes make a big difference. Something as small as providing bird boxes or providing pots of pollinator friendly plants offer benefits for both wildlife and young people.
There are plenty of free and low-cost options for schools and the Wilder Nottinghamshire Officers at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust are here to help.
Please contact us to get things started!
Find out more
If you have a school, business or community group taking positive action for nature in Nottinghamshire, a great way to become part of the movement is to join the Wilder Nottinghamshire network by adding your group to our map.