KIND-hearted villagers have made sure an outdoor learning space was ready for pupils returning to a Wyre Forest school.

After 10 weeks of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, Far Forest Lea CE Primary School welcomed back children from early years and years one and six last week.

To help ensure social distancing rules could be followed, PTA member Ron Clowes secured the loan of a marquee from his Rock parish discussion group for use as an outdoor classroom.

Ron, whose grandchildren attend the school, runs the PTA’s maintenance team and carried on looking after the grounds during the shutdown, with support from six parents, four friends and Rock Farmers’ Club.

PTA chairman Alison Timmins said: “We very much appreciate the loan of the marquee from the group, whose members even delivered it to the school, and the work of Ron and his team.”

As well as erecting the marquee, they continued to maintain the school flower beds, planted wild meadow seeds, replaced rotten fence timbers with concrete posts, which were donated by a parent, levelled slabs and increased the security of a side gate.

A number of Far Forest key worker children joined their friends at Wolverley Sebright Primary School until the government allowed schools to reopen to early years, years one and six.

Shelley Reeves-Walters, executive head of the two schools, said: “The Far Forest school site is stunning and the support and work the PTA have done for the pupils is amazing. It was a pleasure to open the doors again to the children.”

Teacher Beth Colburn added: “The children have really enjoyed having the use of this additional space outside and will benefit from using it in the coming weeks. A huge thank you to the PTA for securing this.”