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Nature meets Learning: Seven Northants schools adopt innovative planters
Playgrounds across Northamptonshire are being transformed into living classrooms, thanks to a pioneering initiative that’s helping schools manage flood risk and support local wildlife, all while giving pupils a hands-on educational introduction to sustainability.
Led by the Resilience and Innovation Northants (RAIN) Project, the scheme has seen the largest school installation of BioScapes® Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units in the UK to date.
In total, 32 specialist planters have been installed across seven local primary schools, helping to reduce surface water flooding, support biodiversity and provide new opportunities for outdoor learning. The participating schools are:
• Oakley Vale Primary
• Wootton Primary
• Preston Hedges
• Wootton Park School
• Woodland View Primary
• Brigstock Latham’s Primary
• East Hunsbury Primary School
Jointly funded by Anglian Water and the RAIN Project, with installation by JA Kent Services and manufacturing by BioScapes, the planters are now a standout feature in school playgrounds, where they’re already sparking curiosity among students and teachers alike.
Each planter connects directly to the school’s guttering, collecting rainwater during storms to reduce pressure on local drainage systems. The water is filtered through soil and planting before it enters the sewer system, helping improve water quality and reduce the risk of surface water flooding.
But these planters do much more than just manage water.
Each one also contains 10 integrated wildlife habitats: from bee hotels and hedgehog houses to amphibian refuges and hoverfly homes, creating mini ecosystems for children to observe and learn from.
“It’s been fantastic to work with so many schools who were so enthusiastic to get on board and bring these smart planters into their play areas,” said Rickileigh Edwards, RAIN Project Support Officer, who coordinated the scheme and liaised with schools.
“It’s a great introduction for students to see what sustainable drainage can look like, and all the added benefits it brings. Huge thanks to JA Kent Services, BioScapes and Anglian Water for making it all happen and to the schools, who already have fantastic ideas for making the most of their planters!”
At Oakley Vale Primary School, six of the planters have been fitted with specialist monitoring equipment, allowing students from the school’s Climate Champions group and the RAIN team to track rainfall and water capture over time, turning a drainage solution into a living science experiment.
The Climate Champions group from the school have also taken charge in planting a variety of perennials, flowers and fragrant edible goodies, such as tomatoes, herbs and lettuces.
The school also ran a school-wide competition to name the planters, with the winning suggestion coming from Travis in Y5, as voted for by the Climate Champions: “Eco Aqua Planters”.
“The beauty of these units is that they combine practical flood management with an opportunity to inspire learning about water, drainage, nature and climate resilience,” adds Rickileigh.
Chris Matson from BioScapes said: “We’re proud that this is the largest school installation of our SuDS & BNG units in the UK to date. We hope it will inspire other schools and communities to explore how nature-based solutions can tackle flood risk while also creating exciting learning opportunities and new habitats for wildlife.”
Made from stainless steel to maximise their lifespan and filled with specialist soil designed by horticultural experts, the BioScapes SuDS units are self-contained, quick to install and ideal for sites where traditional drainage solutions aren’t possible. Ecological trials show they can increase biodiversity sevenfold within just weeks of installation.
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The RAIN Project is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programmes, which is managed by the Environment Agency. The programmes will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.
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