It’s class time at Karoo Primary School – but not all the students are behind their desks indoors. In fact, there’s a high chance you’ll find a classroom session being held outdoors, under a broad shade structure with students sitting at timber tables and benches.

Karoo Primary School’s new outdoor classroom is changing the way they teach, and giving kids a new way to engage with the curriculum. This versatile outdoor learning space is the result of a young student’s idea, enthusiastic school leadership and a well-timed opportunity that brought it all together.

Birds eye view of an outdoor learning space for schools

Class is in session – outdoors

Karoo Primary School were the lucky primary school winners of our 2024 Makeover Magic competition.

If you’re new around here, our Makeover Magic Competition was a HUGE giveaway where one lucky primary school and one early learning centre could win a massive play space transformation.

Karoo Primary School impressed our judges with their pitch to turn an underutilised area of the playground into a multi-functional food garden and outdoor space. They entered the competition with a vision for what they wanted to achieve and we worked with them to create something truly wonderful – a real legacy project for the students, staff and community involved.

Find out how we designed, developed and ultimately brought to life (and then some!) Karoo Primary School’s outdoor classroom.

A birds eye image of an outdoor classroom with shade structure, tables and benches, and raised garden beds

Students working at an outdoor classroom space with a chalkboard and shade structure

The sky's the limit when it comes to outdoor learning

The original idea to transform the outdoor learning space came from Year 6 student Mitchell. He and his friends had planted out some apple seeds in a corner of the school yard – just to see what would happen.

This curiosity led Mitchell to try his hand at more guerilla gardening, this time an avocado seed popped in an old plastic pot.

Encouraged by the sprouted seeds (and spurred on by his parents), Mitchell wrote a letter to Karoo Primary School Principal Danielle Heatley pitching the idea for an outdoor garden within the school grounds.

His proposed site was a triangular patch that sat between three buildings, and was rarely used except as a thoroughfare.

Just by chance, Principal Heatley had come across our Makeover Magic competition – and Mitchell’s proposal was just the idea to send in for our judges’ consideration.

Outdoor learning space packages for primary schools come with raised garden beds

Shade, seating and soil make the perfect setting

When Castle and Cubby read their entry, we were immediately struck by Karoo Primary School's vision for the space. It was just the type of project we were looking for – but we could envision even more.

After announcing Karoo PS as our lucky winners, our product design team began to work with them on developing the concept of an outdoor classroom.

We proposed not just a food garden, but rather a whole outdoor learning space complete with shade structure, long tables to accommodate large groups of students and a garden that provided plenty of room to let plants (and ideas) flourish.

An outdoor classroom for primary schools with a shade structure and chalkboard

It all came together as a versatile outdoor learning space featuring a large shade structure, generously-sized tables and benches, and accessible garden beds. Not only functional, but also a space to nurture students’ well-being and the spirit of innovation.

The shade structure is designed to be modular, with the ability to choose from one, two or three bays, arranged side-by-side, diagonally or (for the 3-bay option) in a zig-zag shape. The benefit of this is the ability to pick the number and configuration that suits your space. Perfect for those awkward areas between buildings or to extend an existing classroom.

The side wall panels allow breeze to flow through while giving shape to the space and dictating the path of travel as people enter and leave. An outdoor classroom chalkboard is integrated into one panel so teachers and staff can apply their learning right there.

Likewise, the other products are created to offer absolute choice. The tables come in two-lengths and three heights, to suit your class size and age groups.

And we’ve modified our existing raised garden bed design to integrate a bench seat on two sides.

A raised garden bed with integrated bench seat for students to sit around

Why outdoor classrooms?

As a business, we’ve drawn on a family background in education, not to mention our experiences as parents of (now) early-secondary students and countless hours of research into the way kids learn and engage with the world around them.

Developing an outdoor classroom product just made sense to us. Play doesn’t end when kids turn 8 or 10 or 12. It just changes. It’s not so much about creating make-believe worlds, and instead it becomes about making something of the world around them. Such as planting a seed to see what might happen.

As Principal Heatley says:

“Research shows how being outside and having a calm environment is going to optimise learning. Being here feels calm. There’s the fresh air, nature, getting your hands dirty in the garden – all of those things come together to provide positive experiences.

“We worked with Castle and Cubby to get their ideas, and then they listened to our ideas and were able to incorporate it into what we see here today.

“The whole process has been wonderful. It's been a real life, authentic example of how student voice can grow and have such an impact on a number of people.”

Castle and Cubby founders Kellie Macpherson and Jonathan Stones with Karoo Primary School Principal Danielle Heatley and students

“We worked with Castle and Cubby to get their ideas, and then they listened to our ideas and were able to incorporate it into what we see here today.

“The whole process has been wonderful. It's been a real life, authentic example of how student voice can grow and have such an impact on a number of people.” – Danielle Heatley, Karoo PS Principal

Student from Karoo Primary School with outdoor learning space created by Castle and Cubby

Students from Karoo Primary School with their outdoor classroom from Castle and Cubby

We’re really proud of what we’ve created for Karoo Primary School and the development of our new outdoor classroom range.

This project demonstrates the potential of collaborative efforts to create new learning environments for students. At Castle and Cubby, we believe the scope of education is limitless when educators and children come together to reimagine their spaces.

But we’ll leave the last word to Mitchell.

“Yeah, it turned out to be really good. Yeah.”

SEE PRODUCTS IN THIS COLLECTION

Signature Timber Shade Structure

SEE DETAILS

Raised Garden
Bed Kits

SEE DETAILS

Class is in session – outdoors

The sky's the limit when it comes to outdoor learning

Shade, seating and soil make the perfect setting

Why outdoor classrooms?

“We worked with Castle and Cubby to get their ideas, and then they listened to our ideas and were able to incorporate it into what we see here today.

“The whole process has been wonderful. It's been a real life, authentic example of how student voice can grow and have such an impact on a number of people.” – Danielle Heatley, Karoo PS Principal

SEE PRODUCTS IN THIS COLLECTION

Signature Timber Shade Structure

Raised Garden Bed Kits

Raised Garden
Bed Kits

Journal

Competition winners Karoo Primary School get a new outdoor classroom