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Outdoor Shelters and Eco Hub for Primary School

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eco classrooms

outdoor shelter with renewable energy equipment

We have just completed quite an interesting project for a school in South London where we have basically supplied them with an “eco hub” which is designed to be both an outdoor classroom or outdoor shelter but which is also an educational tool to help children learn about and appreciate the environment.

We started working on the project with the school last year and came up with the idea of having a small 3m octagonal shelter which say 15 children could sit in at any one given time. It was to be sited next to the school’s existing gardening and planting area so fitted in very well with the whole overall eco schools ethos of healthy living and renewable energy.

We were easily able to supply a building from our comprehensive range of outdoor shelters for schools as the school specifically wanted one which needed to be both “sideless and floorless”. We did however fit an upper panel to one side of the building as this was going to be used to host the board for the renewable energy system.

On the roof, we have fitted a solar panel (which is made from special materials to easily withstand errant footballs and potential vandalism) and a mini wind turbine which is mounted to the side on a pole. The siting of the outdoor shelter at the school is in a very good position because it is south facing (so plenty of sun and natural light for the solar panel) and is not shielded by any trees which would act as a wind block for the turbine. The energy created by these two items is then stored in a special battery which is mounted (but yet concealed) onto the main control board. This power is then in turn converted into usable electricity via an inverter whereby the children can plug in their laptops, tablets, mobiles etc into the two power sockets – and thereby appreciate 100% green energy powered by the elements!

We have also supplied the school with a special dynamo bike which is fitted into a back A frame holster. When the children pedal the bike, it creates energy via a dynamo system and this feeds into a special charging unit for mobile devices. As above, the children can then charge up their mobile devices through clean energy and good old fashioned pedal power.

Both these renewable energy systems are also actively involving the participation of the school children and therefore this way, they will appreciate how we can easily create clean and green energy which does not pollute the environment without having to burn fossil fuels. And of course, there is a bit of fun involved too.

The school has further plans for future developments along this eco theme including a music system which is powered by renewable energy. And a water butt and roof guttering system which will be retro-fitted to the outdoor shelter so that the harvested rain water can be used to water the planters and beds in the next door gardening facility – which at the moment is a problem as there is no water supply to this area and is beyond the reach of a hose.

The project was funded by Tesco’s Bags of Help community grant.

A short video of this installation and project can be seen on the eco classroom link.

For further information on our eco outdoor shelters, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

 

Which Outdoor Shelters Are Right For Your School

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outdoor shelters for schools

outdoor shelter in school playground

We are all aware of the dangers of harmful UV rays from the sun – especially on young skin – and it is for this primary reason which drives a lot of the sales for our outdoor shelters range of products we offer. Or schools want to be able to use them in all weathers and as this is Britain, we do get our fair share of rain as well so in this instance, think of them as a giant umbrella!

A school really needs to determine first what size they are wanting  – how many children is it for, is it actually going to be covering an existing item in the playground (such as a sandpit for example), is there a space limitation in the playground anyway? These are all determining factors that need to be taken into consideration.

And then of course, the million dollar budget question of how much money do you want to spend? As well as our company, there are of course a lot of organisations offering school outdoor shelters and it can be quite daunting for any teacher or school head to determine who or what is best. But there are three things you need to bear in mind in this instance and these are – quality, quality and quality. I have seen so many cheap shelters over the years and they simply don’t last or adequately do the job they are supposed to. A false economy in my book.

A school then needs to determine as to whether it is just a canopy shelter they are wanting or whether you want to extend out the application to almost have an outdoor classroom set up. And by this I mean benching around the sides, panels for whiteboards or chalkboards, desks and the ability to be able to totally or partially enclose them. You can do this with easy-to-use, roll-down canvas panels for example which also afford you greater protection from the elements when so required.

Within our range, we offer a whole hosts of roof options – namely cedar shingle tiles, felt shingle tiles, canvas and even living sedum. And we have products which are designed for a specific purpose – for example our nature watch hut which allows children to be close and to witness nature at close quarters. Or the living wall tipi where you can grown planters up the side.

For further information, please contact us on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

Hideout House Outdoor Classroom at Primary School

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We have just completed a new outdoor classroom building for a primary school in Rushden, Northamptonshire. Our initial brief on this project was quite an interesting one as the neighbouring school had a glass geodome outdoor classroom installed the previous year and so therefore the school was looking for something a bit different too.

They wanted to be able to cater for a class of thirty children, they wanted it to be something a bit unique and also something the children would want to be in time and time again. It was also very important that the building was enclosed (i.e. not like an open sided gazebo type outdoor classroom) and could therefore provide adequate shade and shelter from the elements. This was because the building could be used all year round as well….and therefore opened up opportunities for the wider local community to be able to use it as well. As it was being sited on a grass area with a gentle slope, we had to find a way of easily being able to site the classroom without too much expense being incurred for any groundworks.

As well as an outdoor learning facility for the school children, the school also intend to use it for nurture groups where smaller groups of children with either behavioural problems or learning difficulties can go for more focused one to one tutoring with the teachers and as a quiet respite area where they can escape from the general hub-bub of the average school day.

Last but not least, it had to be of a good quality and last for a long, long time at a price they could afford within their budget.

We always like a bit of challenge!

We therefore have supplied the school with one of our Hideout House outdoor classrooms which ticks a lot of the boxes in the school’s wish list. It is manufactured out of cedar which is a premium quality wood and which requires very little on-going maintenance and typically lasts a lot longer than traditionally used timbers. It also has an attractive cedar shingle tile roof with a special atrium feature in the top section to allow in lots of natural daylight to pour in from above. It is 5m in diameter with internal benching around each side which means that it can easily cater for a class of 30 children. It has an extra wide door to allow access for any children in wheelchairs and it is built up on a timber sub-frame base raised up on posts. This was done to avoid having to put down any sort of base or required any previous leveling of the designated siting area.

It also has quite a unique feel to it and one that the children immediately warmed to as it looks a little mystical shall we say!

Schools seem nowadays to be struggling for any extra space so the Hideout House company feel that this could be a very good way of resolving this particular problem. On-site times are also minimal compared to traditional builds for alternative kinds of school classroom buildings. This particular job was completed in just three days from start to finish.

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email info@hideouthouse.com

outdoor classroom

 

 

Outdoor classroom pod

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the outdoor classroom pod

Outdoor classroom pod with artificial grass roof

Sometimes the best ideas are borne from a chance discussion with a customer who wants something they cannot find. And this is exactly how our outdoor classroom pod has sprung into life.

I happened to be talking with the head of a primary school who have quite an active and expansive forest school set up and he wanted something that was going to be able to cater for say 20 children, could offer some shade and shelter when the weather wasn’t playing nicely but most importantly it had to be something a bit different which would bolster his forest school outdoor learning programme and entice the children to go out there every day. It also had to blend in nicely with the wooded environment where it was going to be sited. Quite a big wish list!

He had been on a glamping holiday over the previous summer and had stayed in a camping pod which he thought was great and it was along these lines he was thinking. It just so happens that through our leisure division Superglamp.com, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

A few brainstorming discussions later – and of course in full collaboration with the children who had some great ideas – we have designed the outdoor classroom pod. Like the afore-mentioned camping pod, this is a pre-fabricated unit built in the factory and which comes delivered off the back of a low loader truck and which is then either winched or dragged into position. However, if space or access is a problem within a school setting, it has been designed in such a way that we can also install on site in modular sections.

During the ideas and design process, the children were very emphatic that it had to be a bit mysterious and “den-like” – hence the reason for the circular, Hobbit-esque door (and windows) but behind that is a bigger entrance door to allow for ease of access without having to bend down the whole time to get in and out.

It measures 4m x 2.4m and has an overall height of 2.2m so can easily cater for teachers as well. There are some exciting options too – firstly the choice of roofing which can either be artificial grass (to blend in with verdant settings) or classic profile weatherboarding. It is also possible to insulate the pod as well and if we are going “off grid”, we can look at solar power options or even a wood-burning stove to heat it up in the colder months. Internal benching and a little front veranda are also optional extras.

With schools ever more pushing their outdoor learning programme, this outdoor classroom pod is an ideal way of answering that brief. And hopefully we have come up with something a bit different!

We are now going to see if the leisure industry wants to buy it as well to be used as a camping pod.

For further details, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email info@hideouthouse.com

the outdoor classroom pod

The Outdoor Classroom Pod

 

Why Forest Schools Can Benefit From An Outdoor Classroom or Shelter

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with water butt and roof guttering system

with water butt and roof guttering system

We have undertaken a lot of work recently in supplying schools with outdoor classrooms or shelters for their forest school programmes. Some of these have included fire pits in the middle, some have been totally enclosed to provide shade and shelter from the elements and some even have educational renewable energy systems for environmental awareness which include wind turbines and solar panels. And there is good reason why –

Through the Forest School principles of learning, we can successfully say that we have played a major part in bringing outdoor learning to life, whilst improving children’s ability to work co-operatively and whilst offering them opportunities to take risks, make choices and initiate learning. All of the children who have passed through the programme so far have experienced nature first hand through a series of engaging and achievable tasks.

When children embark on outdoor learning they need to feel safe and their basic needs need to be met. A shelter or outdoor classroom from the Hideout House Company can provide much needed warmth, safety and shelter that children need to embark on their outdoor learning programmes.

For further information on how we can work with your school and your Forest School programme (including funding opportunities and grants which are available), then please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

Seating and fire pit area

Seating and fire pit area

Nature Play Area at Buckminster Primary School

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Nature play area

Nature play area

This school near Grantham had an existing play area by their pre-school facility which they wanted us to replace and to update as a nature and freeflow creative play area. We jumped at the brief and the challenge!

The project was recently completed and has included the following:

Nature garden – this includes hardwood play chips, messy soil dig pit with timber edging, mud kitchen and low level messy table, living wall tipi den (where you can grow climbing plants up each side) and growing beds

Materials Dig Pit – this includes timber sleepers, a gravel mix, an outdoor camp fire with rustic seating benches and two pulleys

Camp Corner – a self creation play den with a camouflage net and artificial play grass.

The new nature play area for schools has already been extensively used by the school and there are plans afoot to go to Phase 2 of this playground development when more funds are available.

For further information please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

Seating and fire pit area

Seating and fire pit area

 

Outdoor Classroom Treehouse at Primary School

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treehouses for schools

Outdoor classroom with a tree through the middle

Back in the summer we were given quite an interesting brief from a primary school who were looking to have a treehouse to be used as an outdoor classroom and creative play den for the children. But they didn’t just want any old outdoor classroom, they wanted to have something a bit different and which would also compliment their forest school activities.

It had to be big enough to cater for a class of 30 children.

When we had a look at the site, there was quite a prominent tree which the head teacher wanted to do something with. The discussions first started about having a tree seat but quickly the idea of having a treehouse took hold where the classroom would be built around a tree – we are never one to shy away from a challenge so our first treehouse outdoor classroom was borne!

It was recently completed and the school are extremely happy with it – and the children of course have now got something which is a bit magical and unusual to have outdoor lessons in.

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

treehouses for schools

school treehouse

Eco outdoor classroom at William Gilpin Primary School

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solar panel and wind turbine system

eco classroom

We have just completed an eco outdoor classroom at this school in the New Forest. The outdoor classroom itself is a 5m octagonal gazebo which can easily cater for a class of 30 children and features an attractive cedar shingle tile roof and exterior cedar cladding.

But the school wanted to add an extra dimension and turn into a fully fledged eco classroom where the children can learn all about renewable energy and how it is made. The Hideout House Company were commissioned to supply this eco outdoor classroom and came up with the idea of having a solar panel and wind turbine mounted onto the side of the building. The energy created from the wind and the sun is then stored into a battery which is mounted onto an internal power board in the classroom building itself. If they so wish, the children can isolate the power coming from the turbine and solar panel so that they can see for example on a windy day how much energy is coming off the turbine…or if it is a sunny day, how much energy is produced via the solar panel.

By way of an inverter, the energy stored in the battery is then turned into usable electricity. There are two power sockets mounted on the board which the school children can then use to power up their laptops, mobiles, visualisers. So green energy in its purest form!

There is also a datalogger system built into the system which allows the children to store and monitor relevant information from the system and to undertake outdoor eco exercises.

Eco studies is now such a big and important issue within schools and there are now nearly 18,000 registered Eco Schools in England alone. This type of equipment therefore helps towards schools eco schools accreditations.

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

renewable energy board

renewable energy board

Outdoor Classroom at Ashford Prep School

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enclosed outdoor classrooms

6m octagonal outdoor classroom

We have just installed a 6m octagonal outdoor classroom building at Ashford Prep School in Kent who are absolutely delighted with it. It is going to be used for a whole host of applications and since its installation earlier this month, the school’s PTA have now agreed to turn into a truly eco classroom. We are therefore going to add a water butt and roof guttering system for rainwater harvesting and install a special renewable energy monitoring system.

This will consist of an energy monitoring board attached to a post-mounted wind turbine and solar panel system so that the children can see how much energy is being created by the wind and sun and thanks to an in-built datalogger, they can also register and monitor this information for outdoor studies and eco sustainability lessons. The monitoring board also has two outdoor power sockets so that the energy created by the wind turbine and solar panel is stored into a battery and by means of an inverter is then turned into usable electricity – so green power in its purest form! Children can therefore appreciate how renewable energy can be created & harnessed and used for appliances such as laptops, mobile phones, visualisers etc

Renewable energy system with sensory light panel

Renewable energy system with sensory light panel

Eco classrooms from the Hideout House Company are proving to be very popular especially by those schools who have an Eco Schools Accreditation.

For further information, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01865 858982 or email info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

 

 

The Ideal Solution to More Classroom Space in Schools

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The demands of pupils, students, parents and the curriculum are changing so much in UK schools that we now have a rising need for small spaces to work with in order to cater for the massive rise in special needs students and those with English as a second language (EAL). We have heard these described by school staff as break out rooms, contemplative rooms or nurture rooms – basically somewhere where teachers and students can go to outside of the main hurly burly of the average school day to get a bit of peace and quiet basically!

And herein lies the problem – where do they actually find this space? Schools are absolutely bursting to the seams as it is with every square inch of space being utilised to the full so it is therefore difficult to find somewhere to work. And school budgets are not exactly stretching to being able to afford a new classroom block or modular/mobile classroom.

But we have the solution and that is our enclosed outdoor classrooms because actually, all that is needed is an outdoor room capable of accommodating a class let’s say and can be used all year round. Our outdoor classrooms come in all shapes and sizes – octagonal, square and rectangular – and can be fully insulated & double glazed and we can even provide an attractive glass roof atrium to allow in lots of natural light from above. We can also provide a base for them to sit upon and internal benching if so required….and we can also make them eco friendly with solar panels and wind turbines for a bit of extra green power. We also deliver and install nationwide so no problem there either.

And our prices are affordable starting at just £9K ex VAT for an enclosed outdoor classroom. And of course these buildings can be used by the wider local community as well which opens up grant opportunities and other income generating possibilities (e.g. to rent out when not being used by the school).

We have a whole range of schools we have supplied with these type of buildings so if you needed any testimonials, then we would be happy to supply these too.

For more information, please visit our website below or call on 01865 858982 or email: info@hideouthouse.com

www.hideouthouse.com

Enclosed octagonal and rectangular classrooms

Enclosed octagonal and rectangular classrooms