Fairhaven Primary School

It was great to be back at Fairhaven Primary to deliver the Wilder School assembly to the whole school. Everyone was very excited and loved the 'guess the sound of the animal' game we played. All the children were enthusiastic about their local wildlife and lots of them came up after the assembly to tell me about a recent hedgehog sighting in their playground!

For the first Wilder School session I met with Beech class to survey the existing habitats in the school grounds and what invertebrates live there. During the habitat survey we had a great time exploring and the children were so excited and proud to show me their existing habitats like their hedgehog home and log piles. We also kept an eye out for evidence of wildlife finding things such as holes in fences. 

As a class we identified lots of different habitats but also saw room for improvement as there was a lack of water source and flowers. After this we went invertebrate hunting and found lots of creatures like slugs, snails, shield bugs and spiders. 

For this session with Beech class we discussed what habitats we would like to create and the animals they would like to see in their school grounds. We played a matching game to learn about what creatures rely on each habitat. Then the class made a big choice involving what habitats they wanted more of at Fairhaven. The results will be revealed next time!

Our afternoon together finished with the class making wild art using natural materials in the wildlife garden. The children made artwork of what animals they would like to see in their schools’ grounds. They had lots of fun and made some great pieces of art out such as a snake made of leaves and a hedgehog made of sticks. 

On my third visit to Fairhaven I revealed to Beech class the results of their habitat vote and we played some games to learn more about the creatures that they will help protect by creating these new habitats. The habitats they chose to implement were: bat boxes, owl boxes, a pond and flowers. The class were so excited as I revealed the results and all cheered for each choice! 

We then played games in the pouring rain, the class had great fun running around in their wellies! 

We had time to play four games each of which focused on the species their new habitats will help such as pollinators, frogs, owls and bats. They loved the owl call game where they learnt about the different sounds’ owls make and were able to recreate the sounds themselves.

For my next visit to Fairhaven I returned for the first time this year and it was lovely to see the class again. This crafty session involved the class getting creative preparing materials for the community fundraiser that was held straight after school the same day. They made posters and a large display of the animals to be used for the community fundraiser held straight after school. 

Beech class had already prepared some amazing wildlife themed games such as find the acorn, leaf matching, find the bird and animal homes golf!  In this session we also made the prizes for these games such as badges and pinecone bird feeders to be sold at the event. 

The community fundraiser event was held straight after school until 5 and all children with their adults were invited to come along. The purpose of this event was to raise money for the wildlife pond to be dug in April. All the money raised from the event will go towards the materials and plants for the pond. The whole event was a real team effort from all the teachers and teaching assistants at Fairhaven, everyone mucked in to make the event a success. They had lots of stalls including a cake stall, raffle, tea and cake, tombola and the wildlife themed games Beech class created. Lots of the children from Beech class participated running the wildlife themed games and helping me on the tombola stall. Overall the event was a great success, the hall was buzzing with so many people and it was amazing to see so much support for the project throughout the school community. In total they raised £307 which is amazing! 

My fifth visit to Fairhaven was very exciting and involved Beech class making new habitats for the wildlife that lives in their local area. As their choices from last year were to make owl boxes and bat boxes, we had a large building session where they all got to make a box from start to finish in groups of 3. I also was joined by Simon an expert on owls who kindly came to give a talk on barn owls, and showed the children his amazing footage of owls from chicks to adults. 

I had year 3 with me making bat boxes and year 4 were making the owl boxes with Simon. We finished the session with a total of 5 bat boxes, 2 tawny owl boxes, 2 barn owl boxes and 1 little owl box. One bat box and one owl box will be installed in the school and the rest will be donated to the local community to help wildlife thrive in South Walsham. The children had a great time and loved building the boxes themselves! 

After my building session, I returned to Fairhaven with a special visitor. Dr Amanda Hartley is a forensic ecologist, who needed the help of Beech class to help solve a crime! Beech class learnt all about forensic ecology and how science can help solve crimes in real life settings. 

The class got the opportunity to investigate different soils and their ph. levels, as well as investigate different types of plants. 

Using the scientific techniques they had learned, the class was able to help Amanda solve the mystery of the stolen treasure that was hidden in Fairhaven's wildlife garden!

My next visit to Fairhaven was to help support them on their community pond dig out day! On this Saturday the school invited all the students of the school and their families to come help dig out their wildlife pond and do lots of other wildlife and gardening activities. 

Throughout the day people took part in digging the pond, collecting the rainwater, planting flowers, tidying the garden and getting creative making an art mural. 

It was great to see so many families turn up, many from Beech class but it was lovely to see many other students come along as well with their families too. Everyone mucked in and helped create the amazing pond, which we finished it in one day, thanks to the efforts of everyone who came along! 

This month Beech class came to visit us at Ranworth on a school trip, many of them were so excited to return as nearly all of them had been to Ranworth before! During their visit they took part in three different activities: a nature walk, bird watching and dyke dipping. 

They all had such a great time, they particularly enjoyed using the binoculars as many of them hadn’t used them before! 

It was great to let the children have the opportunity to see what wildlife lives nearby on their doorstep and to how their own local area can be a safe haven for wildlife. 

My next visit to Fairhaven I was joined by another special visitor Nick Sanderson from the Broads Authority who very kindly delivered a session to Beech class all about the Broads. 

Beech class learnt all about the history of the Broads, making a model Wherry and got to see the old tools marshmen used to use to cut reed and thatch roofs! 

They got a chance to learn about water safety and how to use a throw line if they ever see someone in trouble in the water. 

Everyone had a great time and it was a great chance for Beech class to discover more about how special their local area is and the heritage of the land and people who once lived there! 

For my last session this year with Beech class, we welcomed the children's parents and carers to join in with the activities! First, we reflected on what has changed, with the children drawing new maps of their school following the ones we made back in September. Many of them were surprised by what they drew differently, including the new pond! Next, each child wrote out a pledge for what they can do themselves to help wildlife in the future. We then went outside to the wildlife garden and hung the pledges on the trees and bushes.

For our main activity, we were investigating invertebrates. The children and adults worked together in groups to find creatures living in the wildlife garden and identified them using the school's new microscopes. We found so many creatures living in the garden, including centipedes, caterpillars, millipedes, slugs and lots and lots of ground beetles. Everyone had so much fun including the adults!

Overall, I’ve been so impressed with Beech class's engagement and enthusiasm throughout the year and I am excited to see how they continue to help wildlife in the future!

I joined them for their first meeting on Friday lunchtime and together we decided on the name for their group, the Nature Ninjas was their favourite choice! 

Next, we voted on what activities the children wanted to do over the course of the Autumn term. I brought along voting sheets which they all ranked their top 5 and Mrs. Seaman took them away to plan for the upcoming sessions. I am very excited to see what they get up to this year!

I returned to Fairhaven to visit the Nature Ninjas in January to see how they have been doing and what they have been working on. The group were very excited to show me what they have been up to during their club sessions! 

All of them have been very busy creating a new well-being space in the wildlife garden, which will be a quite area all the students of Fairhaven will be able to enjoy. They made bunting which they will use to decorate the space! They also made bird feeders which were hung throughout the school grounds to help the birds during the cold winter months. 

Some of the children told me their favourite activity was clearing the weeds and leaves in the wellbeing area; others said their highlight was making the bird feeders. Mrs. Seaman said she was particularly proud of one student when making the bird feeders as he sometimes struggles with mess and different textures on his hands, but he did the activity even though it made him uncomfortable and he said he was happy he got involved and made his own. 

Over the next few weeks they are planning to investigate tracks and trails of wildlife, do a litter pick and take part in the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch. 

In June I came back to Fairhaven to see what the Nature Ninjas have been up to! Since I last saw them, they have been very busy with lots of activities! 

They have worked hard clearing the wellbeing area, which now has benches and is decorated with their bunting they made and they are planning to plant some flowers soon. 

They have been nature detectives tracking the footprints of animals in the wildlife garden, they recorded muntjac deer, duck and cat prints! Another lunchtime they dissected owl pellets and investigated the bones they found! 

Everyone said they loved being part of the Nature Ninjas this year! They have become real nature warriors by taking ownership of looking after their school grounds and the wildlife that live there. This is even paying off as two ducks have made their wildlife garden area and pond their new home! 

I feel very proud of them all and am super impressed by all their hard work and what they have achieved!

I returned to Fairhaven to visit the Nature Ninjas and see what they have been up to since I last saw them in the summertime. It was great to visit after so long, a new cohort of 7 chidren from year 4 have joined the nature ninjas. 

They have been very busy since the start of the term imporving the outside green space at the front of the school. Most Friday lunchtimes they have spent their time clearing, weeding and have planted bulbs and plants. They hope to make this area more inviting for the community as this is the space parents and guardians wait at the end of the school day for pick up. 

Over the next few weeks they will be painting creatures and wildilfe onto rocks which they will use  to decorate and making bird feeders.