'Landscape for Learning' project
The 'Landscape for Learning' project is going to help create a stimulating and inspirational outdoor educational space, which children with autism, their siblings and families, local children and members of the local community can explore and enjoy.
The Project
- We believe that with the right educational provision many more children with autism will reach
their full potential, live more independently and participate more fully in society. TreeHouse Landscape for Learning is part of the holistic education we provide for children and young people with severe autism and will offer unique benefits to our pupils, the wider autism community and the local community in which TreeHouse is based.
- TreeHouse pupils will have access to a well-resourced, rich and stimulating environment for recreation and relaxation, for curriculum and vocational learning and for games and PE. The landscape has been designed to meet the needs of primary and secondary age pupils, providing direct access from classrooms to outside play spaces for younger children and maximising opportunities for teaching valuable life skills to our older pupils.
- Our ‘Landscape for Learning’ will benefit the growing number of children, parents, families and a whole range of organisations within the autism community which TreeHouse serves. We will be able to share our unique
space and offer extended school services for both TreeHouse pupils and for more children with autism and their siblings across London. These will include activities before and after the school day, at weekends and during holiday periods.
- Children with autism benefit hugely from interaction with their normally developing peers and TreeHouse will develop existing partnerships with local school and community groups, creating opportunities for children to learn more the natural world and to encourage understanding in how we can all help protect our environment for the future. This will also benefit the wider autism community, enabling us to provide practical evidence to support inclusion and helping to influence those responsible for shaping children’s disability services.
- The local community can be reassured that the existing green space and natural characteristics of the local conservation area will be preserved for future generations to enjoy. The new planting will blend with existing
woodland protecting against the extinction of a variety of tree species, encouraging wildlife and helping to sustain a rich eco-system. This will perform very useful environmental functions including cleaning the air, absorbing pollution, providing natural shade and helping to reduce noise pollution. In time this will provide economic benefits helping to reduce the infrastructure costs needed to generate energy and control storm water.
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