With the bursary, the school has chosen to purchase a four metre square white canopy parasol – providing the perfect architectural solution to an outdoor classroom.
Unique in design and limited only by imagination, parasols, shade sails and waterproof tension structures can easily be extended over time to suit a school’s needs and budgets. These structures have recently appeared on headteachers’ wish lists thanks to calls from Ofsted, Every Child Matters, the World Health Organisation and Cancer Research UK’s ‘SunSmart’ campaign – with guidelines flagging up the importance of protecting children from the dangers of UV radiation when providing outdoor learning activities.
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Kneesall Primary School headteacher, Mrs Sue llett-Coupe, comments: “We are really thrilled to have won the parasol for our school, it’s fabulous! As a small school, funds are always an issue for us especially as we are keen to move the school forward in every way possible to enrich the education of the children. We have decided to locate the parasol in a central area of school and make it into a reading corner for the whole school to access. We are hoping to obtain a lovely, big, rustic, wooden chair to keep outside under the parasol to make it a special area for the children.
We are in a very rural location so are always aware of safety in the sun and insist the children wear hats at all times during the brighter months and slap on plenty of sunscreen to protect them. The parasol will mean that groups or classes can be shaded from the sun while still enjoying the warm sunny days listening to a story or telling one of their own.”
