Ormiston Six Villages Academy set to create new outdoor classroom

A school near Chichester has started work on the two year transformation of a neglected piece of land on their site.

The project, dubbed ‘Space 180°’ by the students, is an attempt for Ormiston Six Villages Academy to bring to life an area which has been abandoned in recent years.

It is part of the ‘#iWill’ social project which encourages young people to take social action to help others, or the environment.

The team plan to create an outdoor education area with a classroom and mindfulness area. There will be space to build raised beds and allotments.

Chris Marsh, one of the teachers running the initiative, said: “I think this project is great for re-engaging our students with the land around them. The Space 180° site was once used for farming activities and we even had a school pig.”

For Chris, a big part of why Space 180° is so important is that it will help give students in younger years something to develop over time.

He said: “I like the idea of students being able to leave a legacy when they leave and this is a concrete way of doing that.”

The project is solely reliant on contributions and volunteering, so it’s thanks to grants from the Big Lottery and the Ormiston Academy trust that it can happen.

One of the students involved in the process is year seven student Immi Rippon.

She said: “I love being involved in the Space 180° project because I know I am doing something for the community.

“ I hope that when the project is finished it will be used by the school and the local community as an enjoyable place to be.”

Immi is one of the 18 students who have regularly given up their time, along with a team of teachers, parents and members of the community, all wanting to help out.

She said: “I enjoy working with everyone involved in the project, whether they were already my friends or not – we work as a great team.”

Multiple members of the community have helped out already, either by giving up their time or by donating, however big, whether it be soil, a wheelbarrow or digger.

Running the project alongside Chis, Penny Bridges discussed how they hope to give back to the community once it’s all underway.

She said: “We want everybody to be involved. If we grow enough I’d love to do it as a social act, giving out to those who are less fortunate, instead of just having a foodbank where you can’t get fresh produce.”

If you want to help their initiative, the group are holding a Space 180° Community Day on Saturday 8th Of June.

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