A new sensory garden at a primary school in Wakefield has been officially opened by the Mayor of Wakefield.

The garden – at Wrenthorpe Academy – was opened following an assembly and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday (November 14).

The garden has been designed to support pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and is the result of a £50,000 grant from Wakefield Council’s High Needs Capital Fund.

During the assembly, year 5 and 6 pupils Sam, Jack, Alexander, Quinn and Nakai spoke in front of the school about what the outdoor area means to them and their favourite parts about it.

Mayor of Wakefield, Coun Maureen Tennant-King with pupils and staff at Wrenthorpe Academy in the newly opened Friendship Forest.

placeholder image — Mayor of Wakefield, Coun Maureen Tennant-King with pupils and staff at Wrenthorpe Academy in the newly opened Friendship Forest.

Addressing the school, Mayor of Wakefield Coun Maureen Tennant-King said: “What a truly exciting day this is for our school community.

“Today, we are delighted to officially open our brand new outdoor sensory garden, beautifully named by our children ‘The Friendship Forest.’

“This incredible space represents more than just a new addition to our school grounds.

“It is a powerful reflection of our school’s vision – a place where everyone is valued.

The sensory garden, designed to support pupils with special education needs and disabilities, contains a forest walkway, clamber area, a balance trim trail, a fire pit and story-sharing circle, and more.

“Every step of this project has been guided by that core belief – that every child, whatever their needs, deserves the opportunity to feel seen, supported, and celebrated.”

She added that, although the garden has been designed for pupils with SEND, “it is also a space for everyone – a place to connect, to explore, to learn, and to grow together.”

The garden took around 10 weeks to install, and contains a forest walkway, climbing frame and clamber area, musical chimes and drums, a balance trim trail, a visual SEND communication wall, a fire pit and story-sharing circle, and an orienteering trail with hidden animals to discover.

Pupils have already had much use out of the new garden, using it at playtime, for intervention, and for pupils with SEND to have a quieter and calmer lunchtime.

The school said the garden is the most significant investment it has made in the development of SEND support.

Wrenthorpe Academy is a primary school of around 300 pupils and is part of the Waterton Academy Trust.

It is located on Imperial Avenue, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, WF2 0LW.