In November 2021 Kilbrittain National School purchased 0.77 hectares of Woodlands adjacent to the school grounds from Coillte for a sum of €30,000. The money was fund-raised mainly through the parents of our school and also with the help of the community at large.  

The initial purchase of the woodlands was to ensure safe and timely access to the new astro pitch that is now located on the community grounds so that the pupils of our school would be able to use such an amazing facility as much as possible. 

However, the project took on a whole new lease of life when an anonymous donor gave the school €50,000 to develop an outdoor education and sensory area for our pupils. 

In July 2022, work commenced on this wonderful new project and it was officially opened by Seán Kelly MEP in June 2023 after many years of planning and hard work. 

Our woodlands consists of:

• A sensory walkway through the woodlands connecting the school to the Community Grounds (Astro-Tirf, Tennis Court, Ball Alley, GAA/Soccer Pitch)
• An Outdoor Wooden Gazebo which is used for yoga, drama, music, meditation, mindfulness and much much more
• A Fully seated outdoor classroom with a capacity for over 60/80 pupils at any 1 time

Having such an amazing facility has numerous educational benefits such as:

• Helps meet the sensory needs of all our pupils, particularly those with an ASD diagnosis (We currently have 4 Special classes in our school)
• Hands on experience in an amazing learning environment (Science Experiments, Bug Hotels, Learning about flora and fauna in our woods)
• Being able to get out in the fresh air and learn!
• Create & Explore various trails and pathways in the woods
• Being connected to the whole community (Community grounds, Other woodland walks, Kilbrittain Castle, The Waterfall etc)
• A safe space where the children can explore and learn about the plants and trees in the local environment
• Appreciation of our natural woodlands and environment
• Understanding the importance of protecting our environment in light of global warming/climate change.

All teachers are receiving training through the "Forest Schools Programme" in order to maximize the benefit of having such an amazing resource as part of our school. 

We believe that we are the only school in Ireland with such an amazing outdoor educational facility and we are very proud of what has been developed in our woodlands. 

In the years to come we hope to develop our woodlands even further so watch this space!