New Forest School garden opens at Springfield
A new Forest School garden has opened at the CAMHS Campus School at Springfield Hospital following a 12-month transformation.
After becoming one of the first hospital schools in the UK to offer the Forest Schools programme in 2021, the CAMHS Campus School had been borrowing space from local gardens – but a garden of the students' own next to the school was always the goal.
The teachers saw the potential in an underused courtyard area at the front of the school and joined forces with the Trust to bring their vision for a Forest School garden to life.
Headteacher Tara Bell said: “The garden looks fantastic! We’re delighted with the transformation and beautiful outdoor teaching space we now have for our students to enjoy. We're proud to offer Forest Schools and a curriculum that not only meets high academic standards but also brings joy to our students, nurturing their personal growth and wellbeing through regular lessons in nature.”
The garden features a pergola, amphitheatre, accessible vegetable planters, garden shed, composting bins, seating, lighting, and a bug hotel.
Tara added: “We are so grateful to everyone involved in creating the garden and would particularly like to thank Garry Miller from the Trust’s capital programmes team and Dominick Cliftfrom Fulkers Bailey Russell, who both worked tirelessly to make the new garden possible. We are all looking forward to teaching in and enjoying the space this Spring!”
The CAMHS Campus School provides education for young people who are inpatients or day patients on our children and young people's wards: Wisteria, Aquarius and Corner House.
Forest Schools is a child-centred learning process that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions in nature. You can read more about the Forest Schools programme here: What are Forest Schools? An Introduction. - Forest Schools Education
