With outdoor learning increasingly important in today’s post-pandemic world, housebuilder Bellway has donated £375 to Nether Alderley Primary School to replace its mud kitchen.
Located close to Bellway’s beautiful Heatherley Wood development within Alderley Park, Nether Alderley Primary School had made good use of its previous mud kitchen which had come to the end of its natural life and needed replacing and updating.
The simple piece of all-weather outdoor equipment is much loved by the Reception children in Class 1 and is used daily for both imaginative free play and more structured learning.
Positioned in the Early Years garden, which is used as an outdoor learning environment on a daily basis in all weather conditions, the children are welcome to role play freely with the kitchen, interacting, team working and generally replicating and copying all of the mixing, cooking and serving activities that they see taking place at home.
The mud kitchen is also used for more structured learning around the Early Years curriculum which includes activities aimed at developing maths and literacy, such as measuring, weighing and exploration around capacity, and making porridge from their favourite traditional tales such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Headteacher at Nether Alderley Primary School, Richard Craven, commented:
The mud kitchen is an integral part of daily life for the first year at school and we are grateful to Bellway for replacing it for us. Regardless of the weather, it is so important for the children to be outside where they are engaged in natural exploratory learning that stimulates their interest and is fun. The children have been very excited to use their new mud kitchen and have already been making mud pies and sand cakes.”
Sales director at Bellway Manchester, Hollie Reynolds, added:
When we heard that Nether Alderley Primary needed a new mud kitchen we were delighted to assist. Our Heatherley Wood development is so close to the school that many of our residents will join the school family and enjoy playing and learning with the mud kitchen in the Early Years garden.”
Offering some of the most exceptional new build homes currently available in Cheshire, Heatherley Wood is a development of high quality four, five and six bedroom properties nestled within the natural parkland setting of Alderley Park, close to the desirable Cheshire village of Alderley Edge.
With its semi-rural location, close to the Cheshire countryside, yet within easy reach of Manchester city centre and Manchester Airport, and boasting its own gym and gastro pub, Alderley Park is providing popular with couples, young professionals and families looking to make a lifestyle choice to improve their work life balance and enjoy being closer to nature. Bellway has recently released three three storey Totley housetypes at Heatherley Wood; two Totleys are priced at £670,000 each and one Totley Plus is priced at £680,000.
Image – Headteacher Richard Craven (left) with Danny and Lin from Bellway, and children from Nether Alderley Primary School.