"The Diggery" brings a whole new dimension to school life at Ashton!

Designed and created in conjunction with The Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT), this formerly disused area of the school grounds has been developed into an outdoor learning space.  

Incorporating an outdoor classroom with fire pit, a pond with a dipping platform, a sensory garden, semi-mature woodland, seating areas and quiet reading space, The Diggery brings a whole new dimension to school life at Ashton. 

Students have access to a wide range of outdoor resources including a pond, double greenhouse, raised beds, chicken coup, beehives and fire-pit. 

The Diggery is used to deliver key employability skills such as communication, decision-making, confidence and effective teamwork. It has also been used by curriculum areas, for example, Food Technology have discussed the issues surrounding battery, barn and free-range egg production.  

In addition to this, students have the opportunity to learn new skills such as climbing, to appreciate nature, develop resilience and become a well-rounded more confident individual.  

We are proud of the Diggery, and how much it has grown since its initial conception in 2018. Next steps in its development include working with students to create ‘allotment style’ fruit and vegetable production. 

The Diggery