Coventry University Students Design Outdoor Classroom for Earlsdon Primary

Architecture students are applying their expertise to conceive and construct an outdoor classroom for an allotment plot utilized by a city school. Earlsdon Primary School, established in Coventry in 1890, leverages this plot to educate pupils in science and horticulture, with its harvested produce integrated into school meals. Currently, Master of Architecture scholars from Coventry University have joined the initiative to erect a teaching shelter that will also offer protection to students during inclement or hot weather. Postgraduate student Rosemary commented, “It’s exciting to be contributing to something real, especially a project that will be used for educational purposes in the community.” Rosemary, who has engaged with young people through her church, expressed enthusiasm for developing a space “specifically designed for children.” She also highlighted her excitement about participating in “a real-life project and not a theoretical or fictional” one. Rotimi, one of the four postgraduate students involved, added, “The most valuable part of this project to me is the opportunity to contribute positively to the next generation in my own little way.” Philippa Skipp, an architect and teaching fellow at the university, stated that her department frequently collaborates with communities, and this particular partnership emerged from its “critical investigations” module. She shared, “I had an idea that it would be really interesting to get involved in prototyping and or building something maybe like a solar greenhouse.” Course director Hossein Sadri then suggested contacting local allotments to gauge interest. Ms. Skipp subsequently learned that the primary school, which had recently begun leasing a community allotment on Beechwood Avenue, required a shelter. Despite being in its preliminary phases, the project has received approval from the Earlsdon Allotment Committee and the city council, and fundraising efforts have commenced. These efforts included generating approximately £2,000 over two evenings during a “restaurant takeover” at Millsy’s, where pupils served as chefs, preparing produce from the allotment. Deputy head Rebecca Bollands explained that the “learning shelter” would furnish an indoor area for children’s written assignments, data collection, and seedling cultivation. The school also intends to utilize the structure for hosting additional community events. Ms. Bollands clarified that Earlsdon Primary, which predominantly features hard playgrounds, had maintained the allotment for just over a year, but the plot had become “a really important part of our school life.” Children engage in science education within a natural environment, covering topics such as plants and life cycles, and learning about local food production. The teacher remarked, “There’s so many benefits, particularly to the children’s physical and mental well being.” She further elaborated, “As children arrive at the allotments, suddenly they put being in a city centre [behind them], they put aside phones, iPads, devices, and they get to enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air, working as a team, growing the produce and learning about nature.” Gareth Owen, representing the allotment committee, noted that the school is among several organizations and charities with which the committee partners, all of whom derive advantages from gardening and outdoor activities. He affirmed, “The allotments are there for the community.” Ms. Skipp indicated that the university students constructing the shelter had researched the history of both the allotments and the school as part of their assignment. They anticipate being involved in the shelter’s construction during the summer, with the facility projected to open by September. Students enrolled in the module next semester are expected to expand upon the existing ideas and contribute to the design’s evolution, which will incorporate solar energy and storage areas. Ms. Skipp believes that practical experience, such as collaborating with a client and community, will impart “incredibly valuable skills to learn very early in their career.” She added, “As an architect, it tends to be quite a few years before you are in a position where you have followed a project from beginning to end.”