Entry Details and Key Dates

You are invited to provide an entry to the SOuL Canopy Classroom Competition. In your proposal, please address each of the questions listed below. We would like your application to have written answers and include visual imagery (e.g. photographs, schematics, hand drawing, artwork, arial plans etc.). Please also feel free to provide video-based information. We will give particular credit to those entries where the pupils and the wider community have been involved in putting the entry together.

Send your proposal to: info@schooloutdoorlearning.com. Please be sure to put your School/Establishment Name followed by ‘SCCC Proposal’ in the subject box. Also please include a key contact’s details (e mail and phone number).

1. How does your community currently utilize the outdoor space on your site?

2. Are you looking to improve on a current space or create a new outdoor learning space – please explain?

3. What goals do you have for improving outdoor learning in your own teaching setting?

4. How do you envision the classroom and surrounding area being utilized by your school? Please include examples from your traditional academic curriculum as well as any special focus areas.

5. How do you envision your space being used outside of term times and the normal teaching day? Partnerships with other groups? Extended school year?

6. Who will be in charge of general upkeep, maintenance and repairs of the classroom and surrounding areas and how will this happen?

7. Provide a visual design of the layout of your new space. Your design (hand drawn or digital) should be uploaded as a separate JPEG/PNG or PDF. Please also include current photos of the site. Please label and number (School/Establishment Name, SCCC Proposal) and add as attachments.

8. Feel free to include additional information you want us to know about your establishment and the desired space in your proposal. Mark as ‘Additional Documents’:

The competition is open to any registered educational establishment that is located on the UK mainland (note it is not open to overseas schools or those located on either offshore or inshore islands around the UK. This includes Northern Ireland). The preferred location of the canopy installation should be known and outlined in your application. It should be relatively flat, well drained and provide reasonable access for machines and deliveries to carry out the work. It should also be at least 5m from a site boundary and not take up any space on sports pitches or facilities. 

Please note: the cost of any planning or legal fees required for the canopy installation must be met by the winning school/charity.

Timeline and key dates:

• Application Deadline: 12.00 am EST Friday 14th March 2025,
• The 5 Finalists will be announced on Monday 17^th March 2025
• Finalists will present their project live on Friday 21st March (times TBC). Each school will have a designated 10-minute presentation window, along with 4-5 minutes of Q&A from the judges.