A Birds Eye View

A handmade working bird hide, planned, designed, and built by a group of three and four-year olds from Everton Nursery School and Family Centre is set to be unveiled as part of a community launch event on Wednesday 2nd April at 4pm.

Completion of the bird hide comes as part of a month long project that saw the school collaborate with early years practitioners from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and low carbon build specialists, Clan Products, as part of a broader study into early years education.

The construction of the permanent bird hide in the grounds of the school was chosen by the children who took on the roles of planners, architects and builders. In the final phase, the children worked with real life ‘mini’ tools to create the hide, made up of low carbon materials and products.

Jamie Wilson (Deputy Headteacher) of Everton Nursery School and Family Centre said: “This has been a fantastic project that the children have owned and developed themselves from the outset. They have been responsible for each stage of the project and with a little help from our partners, have created a wonderful legacy for everyone to use.”

Environmental issues are high on the agenda at Everton Nursery School and Family Centre with children being very environmentally aware from an early age.  A sustainable approach to the build was essential and the school, alongside LJMU, consulted with Liverpool-based Clan Products, who supplied products, material and support at no cost. A ‘thin joint’ system including aircrete block – a highly insulated block and mortar that is simple to lay with very little drying times formed the foundation of the structure.

Members of the Clan Products team worked closely with the school, visiting weekly and steering the children through the design and construction process.

Christ Hirst, Director of Clan Products, who the children nicknamed ‘Bob the Builder’ said: “The children have really embraced their roles from the early phase of planning and design through construction. It’s wonderful to see the project come to life and to watch the children realise their efforts, creating something tangible and lasting that they can both use and take great pride in.

“The development of the bird hide using modern methods of construction here has been a positive and rewarding experience and will hopefully inspire some of our young builders and construction professionals of the future!”

Nicky Hirst and Diane Boyd, Senior Lecturers at LJMU said: “This project has been embedded into one of our year 2 early years modules for students on the Education Studies and Early Childhood Studies degree programmes. It is important that the students see how young children can relate to, and engage with environmental issues from a very young age and how working alongside the children they can really listen to their voices in a reciprocal and respectful way as this is the bedrock of excellent early years provision. We are very proud to be involved with the staff and children at Everton and Clan Products."

Jamie Wilson concluded: “As an Eco Ambassador School, we are delighted to have the opportunity to co-construct a project with colleagues from Clan and Liverpool John Moores University in which children's thoughts, designs and ideas truly come to life. There have been a range of cross-curricular learning experiences so far in the project which the children have benefited from and which are having a long term impact on their knowledge and understanding of the world that surrounds them.”

Ends

Notes to editor

Launch event itinerary

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Everton Nursery School and Family Centre

Spencer St, Liverpool, Merseyside L6 2WF

3.30pm

Arrival.

Faye O’ Connor (Lead Teacher) to give an overview of the project.

(RLC/School Hall room to be used to locate all people in attendance with a slideshow of images, videos and children's work on display.)

4.00pm

Official launch and 'ribbon-cutting' of bird hide.

Opportunity for photographs

Clare Coombes, Press and Publications Officer, Liverpool John Moores University, T: 0151 231 3004 press@ljmu.ac.uk