St Francis School

Year of Project: 2023

Location: St Francis School, Horspath

Collaborators: St Francis School

Stream: NatureScape

The Story

This was a rewarding brief to create a natural space within a nature-devoid playground featuring plastic grass. Our concept was to create an immersive garden with play, shelter, and food areas to suit both the children and wildlife.

The space was designed to be educational, sensory, and imaginative, giving children the opportunity to learn through growing, exploring, and connecting with nature. For many children, this was the first time they had planted anything, starting them on their journey with muddy hands.

Impact

Mark Lee and his team did an outstanding job building the whole garden from scratch during half-term, so that when the children returned a new landscape had been created in time for them to don their gloves and pick up their trowels.

A permeable, fully accessible path leads visitors on a journey from food being grown for people to eat, to a bug hotel with shelter and homes for insects. A water butt attached to a cattle trough creates a rain garden, helping to mitigate the effect of heavy downpours. The path then travels under an archway to a wide flower bed with two trees and pollinator-rich planting. On the right of the path is a wildflower meadow with native flowers, and a log seating area encircled with sweet chestnut posts. Taller posts support a canopy providing shade and shelter, come rain or shine. Lastly, to the rear is a messy play zone with a pallet tepee and an area of woodland planting.

We had great fun working with the children in pairs and were impressed with their teamwork and the way they helped each other. For many, it was the first time they had planted anything. The garden has given them a space to learn, play, and connect with nature — starting them on their journey with muddy hands and watching it grow and evolve.

Playground area covered by a translucent roof supported by red beams, with a brick building on the left, a grassy yard with trees, and various playground equipment including tables, a small basketball hoop, and a red coat rack, under a partly cloudy
An outdoor playground area with artificial grass, surrounded by a red wooden fence and trees. There is a small bridge, some tires, a garden shed, and climbing structures.
A backyard playground area with a large tree, red fence, tire swings, a small shed, a wooden playhouse, a blue water container, a colorful mat, and various other toys and equipment.
A garden path lined with various plants and flowers, wooden pallets on the left, a water barrel on the right, and a red fence with a house and trees in the background under a cloudy sky.
A backyard garden with a fenced area, a small wooden shed, trees, a pathway, a raised garden bed with seedlings, and various garden tools and supplies.
A garden with a sandy pathway bordered by colorful flowers such as purple globe thistles, orange nasturtiums, and various green foliage. In the background, there are trees, a red wooden fence, a stone wall, and a small wooden structure for gardening.