The Longparish Lookout

Can you help with our fundraising for a new trim trail and outdoor classroom space at Longparish CE Primary School?

Our design aims to be magical and exciting for the children, and to merge into the glorious countryside around us. The Lookout Classroom will allow children to spot animals that live by, on and in the River Test. Perhaps they will spot the kingfisher and otter that live on this stretch of the river. We will use the Lookout Classroom all year round.

About the Lookout Classroom:

The bespoke design will be unique to our school. The intention is to create a soft and natural-looking structure that will sit well in our beautiful countryside setting.

It will use sweet chestnut timber materials, softened further by low-maintenance sensory planting and twisted timber pergola structures. Once established, the planting will attract birds and insects. The planting will have the effect of creating a magical surround to the structure that children will pass through on their way to the lookout platform, blending it into the river landscape beyond.

The trim trail will be similarly made. Austere fencing will be replaced by lower borders.

Why are we building this?

Our existing Trim Trail is over fifteen years old. Parts of it are damaged and cannot be used. We will combine this refurbishment with a brand new Lookout Classroom.

Outdoor learning improves child development, supports mental health and wellbeing, deepens connections with nature and promotes more inclusive and engaging learning.

The project will enhance and enrich learning opportunities for all our children, and will help to sustain the capacity of the village school in the years to come.

You can make a difference by donating today to FRIENDS OF LONGPARISH SCHOOL. Thank you.