Dales to be a classroom for Keighley children (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Our Lady of Victories pupils to use Yorkshire Dales National Park for tasks on environment

8:00am Friday 12th November 2010 in News By Clive White

The Yorkshire Dales is to be turned into an extra classroom for pupils at a primary school.

Children at Our Lady of Victories, Keighley, will learn all about conservation, map reading and flora and fauna over a ten-month long project.

The pupils, aged between seven and 11, will spend a day each month in the company of Yorkshire Dales National Park staff and volunteers. Back in school they will share their new knowledge through the school’s radio programmes, assemblies and website and will try to encourage more people to visit the Dales.

Michelle Wilson, the school’s personal health social education co-ordinator, said: “The children will learn so much about the countryside and contribute to its conservation.

“We are looking forward to the whole experience – it should be very exciting.”

Catherine Kemp, the National Park’s outreach officer, said: “This is the first time we have worked with a group of parents and their children on such a long project. It’s thanks to the commitment of the school staff, in particular Michelle Wilson and head teacher John Devlin, that we can do this.”