A RENOWNED artist has been helping a primary school create its first willow classroom.

Standlake Primary School, near Witney, has spent £800 planting hundreds of interwoven willow saplings to create an outdoor classroom for more than 30 children with the help of Dan Barton, the artist behind the Wickerman at Oxford’s annual South Park fireworks display.

The classroom will be used by the school to teach pupils about science and nature – and provide a sheltered spot for children to read.

Mr Barton, 40, who lives in nearby Fyfield Wick, said: “Willow is a great visual way of teaching kids about nature, and children learn a great deal through the whole process of planting, nurturing and harvesting willow and making use of an end product.

“They are also great for creating shaded areas to keep children out of the sun during the summer.

“I’d really like to see willow classrooms and beds in every school in the country.”

The willow classroom at Standlake was woven together by seven local parents and Year Five and Year Six children at the 98-pupil school.

Headteacher Sandra Connell said: “It’s been a superb project for us. The outdoor classroom is far bigger than I imagined and we will be able to get at least 30 children sitting in there.

“It’s a really excellent and exciting project for the school.

“This morning there was a blank piece of field and now we have the makings of a wonderful outdoor living classroom with lots of potential.

She added: “Getting children interested in the real world helps make them aware of their environment and conscious of what we are doing to our planet.”

To find out more about willow classrooms visit wickermanoxford.co.uk