At Bowhill Primary School we are keen to support our families and the local community. In order to do this we have our own food bank and school uniform bank which is accessible to all members of our school community. Should you need to access this, as a one off or a more regular thing, then please contact our family support workers on the contact details below.
Jess Crabtree & Lauren Welch on admin@bowhill.devon.sch.uk.
Both can be contacted on 01392 206585
HOP aims to improve children’s mental well-being by using the outdoors. It is an enrichment programme that gets the children outside building dens, cooking over fires, nurturing and growing plants, building with wood, planting trees, juicing apples and much more!
The activities are carefully planned to help children learn about their environment and to develop essential life skills like resilience, cooperation and self-regulation. Working together on projects builds confidence, fosters creativity and helps children feel positive about themselves and school. Based outside the classroom, in small groups, the children have the space and opportunity to share thoughts, worries and feelings in a warm and supportive environment.
The HOP team believes everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy being in nature, so they base their work just outside the classroom door on the school grounds helping overcome barriers some face in reaching the outdoors.
Children say they feel more relaxed returning to class after a HOP session. It has improved confidence and reduced anxiety. Parents say their children seem happier in themselves, calmer and more grounded.
HOP has been running at Bowhill Primary School since autumn 2024. Sessions take place every Tuesday and are led by Jen and Emma with support from Lou, a local volunteer.
6th November 2024
We had a fabulous week celebrating the children’s last of 6 weeks of HOP.
We enjoyed preparing apple and cinnamon slices to go on the campfire. While the snacks were cooking, the children focussed on activity 2…..Den building!
The groups worked collaboratively to share ideas and began building an intricate structure by placing long sticks against a secure frame. They used their problem solving skills to ensure that the dens were stable and safe.
Each group had a different addition ranging from a pretend campfire, washing line and even a decorated Christmas tree in the garden of the den.
We learnt how to move safely around the campfire and enjoyed tasting the delicious apple slices to finish.
13th November 2024
This week we have started working with new groups from Year 3/4 Seacole class and some Year 5/6 children. Everyone enjoyed their first HOP session in the glorious Autumn sunshine! We familiarised ourselves with the school grounds by going on a nature hunt and exploring the beautiful colours to be found outside. We collected a selection of natural materials and each made a miniature autumn collage – some children were so inspired they made 3 or 4! It’s amazing what you can find when you look. Each collage was a beautiful mix of colours and textures and the product of careful observation and arranging.
With the wonderful sunshine we were also lucky to get a final glimpse of summer insects, spotting a butterfly and bumblebee having a final drink of nectar from the remaining flowers and ladybirds on their way to a comfy spot for their winter hibernation.
To draw each session to a close we often try an ABC activity…
Attention – we paused for a moment to look around, noticing things with our eyes and listening to sounds with our ears. Body – we placed our hands on our tummy and felt our body breathing in and out.
Count – as we slowly breathed in and out, we counted in time with our breaths.
20th November 2024
This week we turned our attention to the vegetable beds – preparing them for next year’s planting. Some pupils very carefully harvested any remaining seeds from this year’s vegetables and, as they are non-hybrid seeds, we can save them to use again.
Others began creating a garden lasagne on the vegetable beds. This first required a lot of effort digging up unwanted dandelions. Then the beds were covered with layers of cardboard and green and brown compost. Thank you to the guinea pigs who helped to create the brown compost and to the pupils who gathered grass and nasturtiums from the grounds and raked leaves from under the trees. There is now a ‘delicious’ lasagna that will cook-down over the winter-yum, yum!
As a break from gardening work one group turned their attention to two other activities. One activity was to create our own clay creatures by adding things from nature. Each ‘creature’ had its own character and the children enjoyed naming them and even creating a life story for them!
An alternative activity was making fragrant lavender bags from the dried lavender flowers bought in from Hannah’s garden. We chose patterned fabric and placed a spoonful of lavender in the centre before tying the bag with coloured wool. The sacks smelt amazing and were very relaxing to breathe in!
27th November 2024
We continued with ‘lasagne layering’ the final raised beds this week by adding a layer of Bowhill school compost thanks to Mr Mawdsley’s compost club! We learnt that compost is the natural process of recycling leaves and food scraps into a valuable fertiliser that enriches the soil with the help of our wormy friends. The children cleared away the top layer of leaves from the compost bin so that they could expose the decomposed leaves beneath. Working together they used garden spades to shovel the compost into a wheelbarrow and spread it evenly as a top layer on the beds. The nutrient filled compost will improve the quality of the soil in the raised beds ready for new plants to grow in the Spring.
We have been generously donated some beautiful spruce tree logs from Bill and Anne Blight’s woodland in Cheriton Fitzpaine for seating around the firepit. Bill Blight, an octogenarian forester.. We are thankful for his kind assistance with our plans to create a forest school area for Bowhill!
In the afternoon some of the Yr5/6 group began sawing pegs to keep the firepit log seating in place. A hacksaw was used to cut some lengths of a branch and in the next session, we will hammer the pegs beside the log seating to prevent the seats from moving or rolling. We hope during the rest of this term and next, with some help from Yr 5/6 to begin transforming the space next to the back of the canteen into an exciting new area for forest school adventures!
Both Yr 3/4 and 5/6 groups were also able to make lavender bags or create a clay creature if they hadn’t had the chance in the last session. Everyone loves the smell of the lavender. Thank you to HOP Hannah for donating it from your garden. We will try to harvest some of Bowhill’s lavender near the guinea pig area next time.
4th December 2024
It was a cold and frosty morning at Bowhill this week! The children warmed themselves up by getting enthusiastically involved in the HOP activities.
Year 3 / 4
The first activity on offer was making bird feeders. We used sunflower seed butter to stick seeds onto cardboard rolls. A stick ‘perch’ was added to the feeder and then we placed the finished product in the trees outside Seacole classroom… we’re looking forward to seeing the birds enjoy their lunch!
The Year 3 & 4’s learnt how to safely use a Bow saw and set to work cutting wooden ‘cookies’ from a large branch. The children have lots of exciting craft ideas to transform the wooden discs into festive decorations.
Year 5 / 6
The task of the day was preparing the grounds for winter. The flower and vegetable gardens have been put to bed for the Winter with blankets of cardboard, grass cuttings and leaves. We put finishing touches to our lasagne layering by adding a final layer of compost to the raised beds and made sure that the garden area was clear and tidy. It was hard work but a lot of fun filling the large wheelbarrow with compost and then navigating it around the obstacles in the school grounds to be tipped on to the beds.
Everyone also helped to bag up the old leaves to be used as next year’s compost.
Our firepit area is also developing. The children helped to saw long pegs from the wooden sticks and then hit them into the ground to secure the large logs and prevent them from moving. We can’t wait to have our first bonfire and to be able to sit on the log seating that we have been making!
11th December 2024
We had a great day this Wednesday with all the HOP groups making winter wreaths. It was a project of perseverance, especially the first step of bending willow to make the base of the wreath. The willow is like a spring that wants to return to its original shape. But everyone was determined and sometimes with some help from a friend or some garden wire everyone managed to get it to work. Next, the creativity began! Pieces of fir, ivy, holly, different variegated leaves and evergreen cuttings from plants growing on the school grounds were all used in different combinations to make beautiful and unique wreaths fit for a florist shop and hopefully now hanging on some front doors.
Happiness Outdoors Project are on Instagram if you want to take a look at some of the activities that HOP do…search @happinessoutdoorsproject on Instagram.