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Two primary school children in uniform looking through binoculars at a nature reserve

Rollesby Primary School visit to Hickling Broad

Rollesby Primary School

Assembly and Meet & Greet (9th September)

It was amazing to visit Rollesby Primary School and meet all of the students! I lead a whole school assembly to get everyone excited about the Wilder Schools project and following this I met Kingfisher class, who I will be working most closely with over the next year. We had a great time getting to know each other and played a nature-themed name game. My name was Abi Adder, but the most memorable name for me was Maisie Maggot! To finish off the afternoon we went back inside and each student created their own nature journal, which they will be able to fill out throughout the project. 

A young boy in class, he is wearing glasses and uniform and is filling in sheets with coloured pens.

Meeting students at Rollesby Primary School as part of our Wilder Schools work

Session One: Hickling Broad visit (30th September)

Kingfisher class came for a visit to Hickling Broad today! We had a great time investigating habitats and thinking about the changes we might make in their school grounds. We spent our day bird watching, pond dipping, minibeast hunting and enjoying a guided walk. Pond dipping was the group’s favourite activity and we found some amazing freshwater invertebrates, including a huge diving beetle! 

A group of primary school children in uniform peering between tree trunks.

Rollesby Primary School trip to Hickling Broad as part of our Wilder Schools work

A young boy smiling and holding up a pot filled with water and some kind of critter inside.

Rollesby Primary School pond dipping at Hickling as part of our Wilder Schools work

A group of young girls in primary school uniform peering into a tray full of water and critters at a nature reserve.

Rollesby Primary School children pond dipping at Hickling as part of our Wilder Schools work 

Session Two: Habitat Surveying and Minibeasting (9th October)

This afternoon Kingfisher class were surveying their school grounds to see what habitats they already have. First, everyone was given a specific habitat to look for (long grass, meadow, hedgerows etc.) and we collated all our information and added it to the board. Then we spent some time thinking about what invertebrates we might have living in the school grounds. We found lots of amazing things, from enormous spiders to shield bugs and worms. While we were hunting for invertebrates, we noticed lots of other wildlife, including toads, newts and various birds. At the end of the session, we noted down all of the habitats and species we had seen, which will help inform us about what changes we want to make to the school grounds.

Three young girls running and playing in a school field.

Rollesby Primary School habitat surveying 

Three children in school uniform using magnifying glasses and nets to catch and observe insects.

Rollesby Primary School habitat surveying 

A young, primary school girl in uniform pointing at a pile of sticks and wood in a school field.

Rollesby Primary School habitat surveying 

Two school children grinning and showing a small pot to the camera with a critter inside.

Rollesby Primary School habitat surveying 

Session Three: Habitat Voting (11th November) 

This session Kingfisher class voted for what habitats they would like to add to their school grounds. They had lots of options to choose from, including trees, meadows and bird boxes. After casting their votes, the group then created mini maps of their ‘dream’ school grounds using natural materials. We had some very creative ideas, from enormous fishing lakes to an owl island! We will come back together after Christmas to find out what habitats they voted for! 

Primary school children lining up to vote for a species in a school field.

Habitat voting at Rollesby Primary School

Session Four: Environmental Games (22nd January)

Today we found out what habitats Kingfisher class voted for before Christmas! They have chosen (drum roll please): hedgerows, hedgehog homes and long grass/meadows! These are habitats we will be trying to create in the school grounds over the next year, which is very exciting. We then braved the cold and went outside to play some games to learn about the species that we will be helping by creating these habitats. We learnt about the importance of pollinators, how bats hunt in the dark (echolocation!) and what sparrowhawks like to eat!