A primary school in Winterbourne welcomed back their former pupil and current Metro Mayor Dan Norris to officially cut the ribbon to open a brand-new play area.
St. Michael’s Primary School pupils will now be able to enjoy sitting in a tree house, scaling a climbing wall, cooking up a storm in the mud kitchen, building giant castles in the walk-in sandpit and getting creative and splashy with a music and water wall.
Mr Norris, headteacher Kirsty Robson and Fr Malcolm Strange spoke at the short ceremony, attended by Reception pupils along with their Year 6 ‘buddies’. Then the youngsters got to demonstrate to the adults exactly how their play area should be used – for fun and learning!
Dan Norris said “I am delighted to open this fantastic new outdoor facility. It’s amazing. I loved my time here but I really wish they’d had a tree house when I was at St. Michael’s.
“Learning and playing outside is so important for healthy, active children. They are learning real life skills here.
“I know all the children will enjoy these fantastic facilities. I’m really looking forward to hearing from them what their favourite activities are.”
A government study shows that getting outdoors is beneficial for both learning and behaviour. 92 per cent of teachers surveyed said that pupils were more engaged with learning when outdoors and 85 per cent saw a positive impact on their behaviour.