The wolf may huff and he may puff, but he won't succeed in blowing Bute Cottage Nursery's straw classroom down. The nursery children know this because they actually helped build it out of sustainable and recycled materials.
With the help of parents, staff and volunteers from the local community in Penarth, near Cardiff, it took two years to erect the round house. The children were involved at every stage. 'Quite often buildings are cordoned off so children can't see what is happening, but our children helped lay the foundations, build the walls and insulate them,' says headteacher Ceri Hoffrock.
She believes the building process has provided big educational benefits. 'We could have built an ordinary extension or used a temporary building that would have arrived in a day, but the children wouldn't have had the whole process leading up to it. They now understand that building a house does not just involve walls - the land has to be prepared and foundations need laying too,' she says.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here
