In the UK, the construction industry alone generates a third of all waste, while generating 45% of all CO2 emissions and accounting for 60% of all materials used (source). We all need to take action, and as part of our commitment to sustainability, we’ve been investigating our own business practices to help mitigate waste. So we were delighted to be introduced to Sophie Halliday, a Primary teacher from Southeast London and Founder of The Sample Project, a ground-breaking initiative that is bringing the worlds of education and construction together.
We spoke to Sophie to find out more.
What is The Sample Project?
With schools facing continuous cuts, battling with historic deficits, and recovering from the pandemic, children more than ever need a rich start to their education. The Sample Project aims to support primary schools who are struggling to provide effective continuous provision within their Early Years Foundation Stage settings, using discontinued or out of season material samples. Every year, interior designers throw out tonnes of end-of-season samples from luxury fabrics to elevator door samples. One industry’s trash is another’s treasure!
How are the samples used by educators and learners?
Children’s imaginations work best when they are exposed to interesting and open-ended provision. Drawing from Froebel’s Gifts Theory, The Sample Project offers children a chance to explore different materials to make sense of the world around them. The beauty of using donated sample materials lies in their powerful and open-ended nature. Children can manipulate them in different ways, making endless opportunities. When children are playing with ‘loose parts’ it is amazing to see the different ways they interpret the materials and expand and build upon what they know.
When teachers see children playing with samples, they see every single area of their learning being exercised. Samples are an invaluable resource to every early years setting and help children develop, extend, and push their imaginations to new dimensions. Schools are facing extreme budget cuts and are struggling to provide their settings with quality, durable and sustainable provision.
Samples not only allow children to create endless opportunities but also can be used for many, many years, meaning end-of-season samples don’t have to end in a recycling bin but can live on in classrooms across the country.
