St John’s Primary School principal Mary Bizzaca with kids on new purpose-built outdoor learning environment.
Camera IconSt John’s Primary School principal Mary Bizzaca with kids on new purpose-built outdoor learning environment. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie

Scarborough: St John’s Primary gets new nature exploration area

Kate LeaverStirling Times

A SCARBOROUGH primary school has taken the classroom outside with a purpose built “learning environment” in the school grounds.

St John’s Primary approached landscape architecture studio PLAN E to “overhaul” its early childhood grounds and design a new outdoor learning environment for students which includes nature exploration areas.

School principal Mary Bizzaca said the outdoor play area was an “incredible gift” to the younger children at the school after a two-year consultation and creation process

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She said it was important play spaces provided a variety of challenging natural elements.

Landscape architect Adam Lange said his four children would all soon be enrolled at the school.

“I have a close connection to the school with three of our four children currently enrolled at St John’s, and the youngest soon to join,” he said.

“The strong connection between creative, three-dimensional outdoor environments and healthy psycho-social outcomes are well recognised.

“Whenever we embark on a project such as this we like to strike a good balance between exposing children to character building risk, while still creating safe and stimulating spaces to learn and play.”

Mr Lange said the previous site had a lot of unusable levels and areas.

“What was previously wasted space has now been transformed into climbing and exploration areas.”

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