Kings Park Academy has a new outdoor learning area, thanks to its talented site manager, ‘Fantastic’ Mr Fox.
Fantastic Mr Fox – real name Nigel Fox – has transformed an area of overgrown woodland into a learning garden, complete with lookout, digging patch, bug hotel, and rope swing.
There is also a woodland walk where children can listen to birdsong, a pirate ship, tyre park and even a field kitchen for cooking up mud pies.
Associate Principal Dawn Wilks, said: “An active education and outdoor learning is a key part of our curriculum at King’s Park Academy and as part of our recent, major rebuilding project we asked our Early Years and KS1 children to come up with ideas about what the perfect outdoor learning area would include.
“Mr Fox took those ideas away and what he has created is truly fantastic – a resource which opens the door to the wonders of nature and which further enriches our pupils’ education.”
She added: “Mr Fox has been with us for four years and the children adore him.
“They nicknamed him Fantastic Mr Fox after the Roald Dahl character and because of the fantastic things he makes for them.
“Thanks to him they can now view animals from the hide, play in the tyre park and even have a stage, where they can sing and act.”
Mr Fox said: “I’ve built the outdoor learning area in holiday periods when the weather has been good. I really enjoy building and love to see little ones exploring and learning outdoors.”
The father of three added: “The children are particularly enjoying the field kitchen, probably because it involves mud!
“But I still have plans to add to the area with a worm tunnel, where they will be able to look through a Perspex panel and see what worms get up to underground.”
King’s Park Academy is in Ashley Road, Bournemouth and primarily teaches children from Littledown and Boscombe. A new nursery provision will be opening at the academy in January 2016.
