PUPILS at Appleton Wiske Primary School can look forward to some outdoor learning after a new wildlife area was opened on school grounds.

Teachers, parents and students have spent almost two years planning and planting the meadow site, which contains a special ‘outdoor classroom’ that will be used by the whole school.

Ecologists Roger and Rosy Key have also been involved in the project, which has seen a range of rare and indigenous plants and grasses grown and nurtured.

Speaking at the grand opening on the school’s sports day, headteacher Neil Clark said: “This has been a fantastic community project that has really been a couple of years in the making.

“We’ve held a number of community days where pupils, parents and members of the local community have turned up to help dig, weed and plant.

“The end result is better than we could have imagined – the children love it because it enables them to spend some of the school day outside, and it’s a fantastic learning resource we can use for a wide range of subjects.

“We’ve been able to study the wildlife that has been attracted to the plants and grasses, and we’re planning some special projects to make the most of the new space. We can also use the outdoor space for reading – it’s great we’ve been able to open it for summer.”