Valuable grants for two Spalding special schools

Two special schools in Spalding have received funding to enable important improvements to enhance pupils’ learning and recreation.

The Garth School in Pinchbeck Road has received a £9,438 grant from The National Lottery Awards for All Scheme for much-needed upgrading work in the playground area and some interactive play panels for use at break times.

Meanwhile, The St James’s Place Foundation’s £10,000 grant to The Priory School in Neville Avenue has paid for improvements to its woodland area.

The cash for The Garth School will pay for all-weather rubber mulch safety surfacing to make the trim trail and wheelchair-friendly roundabout accessible all year round. The excellent facilities were installed in 2013 but access has been a problem during the winter months due to the surrounding area becoming muddy.

Head of site Richard Gamman said: “Having the area around the trim trail surfaced will make a huge difference to the opportunities for our students.
“The roundabout is wheelchair accessible and a source of great fun for all of our children but not available currently for six months of the year because of all the mud that builds up around it.
“We are delighted that the Big Lottery grant has opened this resource up for the whole year.”

The woodland area at The Priory School now has an improved natural science area with eight wooden noticeboards, a pond dipping area with a non-slip platform, 100m of rubber matting to extend the disabled pathway and an amphitheatre space with six wooden benches and performance stage.

Head of site Barrie Taylor said: “At The Priory School we value the benefit we can get from practical and interactive activities both in and around school. We are very lucky to have a nature area on the school grounds that we can utilise to enhance the education of our pupils.

“The recent work that has been completed to maximise the benefits from this area has been fantastic. 
“The seating and stage area that has been installed will inspire pupils to show their abilities to others in areas such as drama and English lessons.

“The new platform on the pond will guarantee that our science and environmental lessons can now have a whole new practical focus which we feel will grasp pupil’s attention and enthusiasm for the natural world. The different habitat areas are so exciting and our pupils can’t wait to get involved with the work that will ensure they become inhabited.

“The pupils at The Priory School are so lucky to have this new and exciting facility and there is an excited buzz around the school amongst pupils and staff about the possibilities now open to us.”

Together, The Garth and The Priory form The Spalding Special Schools Federation.