A major new wildlife partnership has been launched in Deal to tackle a sharp decline in school-based outdoor learning. This initiative comes as research from the WWF reveals that only 27 per cent of surveyed schools have integrated nature-based learning into their curriculum, despite its proven benefits for children's wellbeing and academic performance.
Bridging the Gap
To help bridge this gap, housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Homes has teamed up with Kent Wildlife Trust to bring the Wilder Schools programme to pupils at Sandown School, located near the Sholden Meadows development. The initiative aims to equip children with the practical skills and confidence needed to become active, lifelong champions for the environment.
About the Wilder Schools Programme
Run by Kent Wildlife Trust, the largest conservation charity in Kent, the Wilder Schools programme equips children and young people with the skills, confidence and motivation to become active champions for nature at school, at home and throughout their lives. Kent Wildlife Trust works with schools, communities, businesses and developers across the county to support more sustainable, wildlife-friendly practices, helping to create a Wilder Kent.
Through the Wilder Schools initiative, pupils will experience first-hand how their actions, both big and small, can make a meaningful difference to the natural world. Across the school year, Sandown School will receive four support days, including workshops where pupils will engage with nature and explore how their school can become more sustainable and wildlife friendly.
Launch Event at Sandown School
Kicking off the programme, Year 4 pupils at Sandown School began with an assembly from Kent Wildlife Trust, enlightening them on the trust's role and aims towards nature. This was followed by an Action Plan workshop focusing on environmental actions and their impact, opening the pupils up to insightful conversations.
Bella Sabin-Dawson, Wilder Education Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: "The first Wilder Schools workshop highlights exactly why this programme is important. By giving young people the knowledge, confidence and opportunity to take action for nature, we are helping to nurture a generation that feels connected to the natural world. It was fantastic to see how engaged the Year 4 pupils at Sandown School were, and that sense of enthusiasm is exactly what drives meaningful, lasting change. We are looking forward to our next workshop with the school and to see lasting values developed."
Harry Gambrell, Year 4 Teacher at Sandown School, added: "The impact of the first Wilder Schools programme has been incredible. From the outset, the pupils were completely engaged, offering ideas, showing real curiosity and working together to think about how they can make a difference for nature. I am pleased to see the benefits it has already had beyond the classroom and am keen to see this continue. As a teacher, seeing and hearing the ways the programme will introduce climate and biodiversity issues in a hopeful, practical way, I think will really help the pupils feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. I know this programme will make a lasting difference."
Natalie Perry, Sales and Marketing Director at Barratt David Wilson Kent, concluded: "As a housebuilder, we have a responsibility not only to create homes, but to help build thriving, sustainable communities. That’s exactly why partnering with Kent Wildlife Trust on the Wilder Schools programme was a natural fit for us. Seeing the impact of this first workshop has reinforced why this work matters. By helping young people understand the importance of biodiversity and giving them the tools to take positive action from an early age, we are supporting a generation that values and cares for the environment. It is about investing in the future of our communities and encouraging children within them to connect with nature and feel empowered to make a difference that will have lasting benefits, not just for wildlife but for everyone."
Barratt David Wilson Kent is currently building a range of three, four and five-bedroom homes at its Sholden Meadows development in Deal. Prices start from £329,995 for a three-bedroom home with the Key Worker Scheme available. To find out more information about Barratt David Wilson Kent or the homes at Sholden Meadows, visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0330 0290 459 / 0330 1626 762.
