New riverside hide for Hampshire schoolchildren.
Pupils at an Andover primary school have gone wild for a new outdoor classroom overlooking the River Test.
£15k boost to primary school project
The River House is a purpose-built lookout lodge made of sustainable sweet chestnut timber where children from Longparish Church of England Primary School can observe wildlife and learn first-hand about the environment.
The project, which is accompanied by a new Timber Trim Trail that includes a wooden ‘river boat’, a ‘bird’s nest’ climbing frame and more, was given a major boost by a £15,000 grant from Southern Water.
The River House was officially opened on Thursday (May 22) when guests were treated to a performance from the school choir and visits from an artist and a storyteller who worked with pupils to produce work celebrating the Test, which runs alongside the school’s playing field.
Our Community Partnerships and Programme Manager, Alex Willumsen, who attended the ceremony, said: “It’s been brilliant to watch the children engaging with nature in the River House. That kind of first-hand experience is invaluable in helping them understand why water is so precious and what we can do to protect it. We’re really pleased to support the project.”
Headteacher Mark Ward said: “The River House provides the children with a viewpoint to study the wildlife around the River Test, to learn about the importance of the River Test and its ecosystem, as well as to learn from the river about how we need to protect it and be its guardians.
It is wonderful to see the children play and learn in, and around, such a unique and one-of-a-kind structure.”
Our Education Officer, Kim Twine, previously visited the school to deliver a Water Protectors assembly followed by a Water Protectors lesson helping children understand how to save water and care for the environment. Suitable for children aged 4 – 11, the free assemblies – which can be delivered in-person or online – offer a fun and interactive introduction to the water cycle and how to protect waterways.