Learning in the '˜Great Outdoors'

The school was awarded £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund Scotland which they have used to transform their playground by installing a trim trail and creating an outdoor classroom.

The PTA and the children also donated £4,500 by holding a sponsored events such as a ‘niceathon’ last year when pupils carried out favours for family and friends for a donation.

Teacher David Campbell said: “Over the years the children have asked for various additions to their outdoor spaces and it is fantastic that we have been able to meet their wishes.

“The Pupil Council was responsible for planning this project and they developed their ideas and recommendations after considerable consultation with all the children in the school.

“This means that the children chose it all themselves.

“They worked very hard to choose everything to make sure that everyone would be hapy with the end result.

“Being able to supply what the children have fought so hard to gain is an amazing reward for all their hard work.

“These additions will offer all our pupils a variety of excellent learning opportunities while encouraging physical activity, positive play and social interaction across the school.

“It’s been so much fun - the children have been amazing and we couldn’t be prouder.

“We’re now looking forward to our next project which is raising money for iPads and technology equipment.”

The trim trail includes a wooden obstacle course with ropes and balance beams/logs and climbing equipment.

The outdoor classroom will have seating and a creative drawing trail which allows pupils to draw on three different panels - a white board, chalk board and perspex panel.

New playground markings will enable the children to get involved in different activities and games at lunchtimes and breaktimes such as the ‘dance mat’, ‘piggy in the middle’, hpscotch, mirror me and alphabet spiral.

Westerton Primary School is on the southern boundary of Bearsden on a hill above Westerton ‘village’, the original Westerton Garden Suburb, established in the early 1900’s.

The school was opened in 1961. It is a two-storey building with six classrooms, three on the upper floor. A further four classrooms are in huts in the playground.