A reception teacher has been overwhelmed by the community’s response to her appeal for new materials.
Emma Cobb, from Narborough, near Swaffham, launched an appeal for resources to help improve the outdoor area for her reception class at Fakenham Infant School.
With a limited budget, she called on the town via social media to donate anything from watering cans to tyres and gravel in hopes of renovating the space.
“Seeing the response I was quite overwhelmed,” she said.
“I thought that maybe one or two people would help, most likely parents of children. It seems to have hit the hearts of the community and went bigger than I expected."
The post, which had almost 90 comments, also saw bigger businesses get in touch. Norfolk's Vantastic Movers offered to deliver materials, while supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons reached out to donate items.
The school now hopes to use the materials to create and develop spaces, including making flower beds out of tyres, getting use out of their sandpit and improving their fencing.
But it is not just for play - Mrs Cobb hopes these resources will benefit the children in a number of ways.
“As warmer weather comes about it means more time outside and the material is there for them to play and learn by offering a more stimulating and exciting environment for them," she said.
“I’m hoping it will impact their overall learning - the outside area can be an extension of the classroom.
“It can also improve their mental wellbeing. They will want to play outside with these new resources and we hope it will make them happier."
The school says it is happy to take as many donations as possible and said, if they feel they have enough, will give materials to other age groups in the school.
The 29-year-old is not at school at the moment, with her pupils on their Easter holidays. She said they are excited to see the materials they have to work with when they return.
“We are all excited, I was overwhelmed by the response and I think going back it is exciting to see what we have donated and how we can use it to benefit the children,” she said.
“It's given the team a real buzz, to see what happens next for our outside space and our children.”
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