Simon Venn - personal and professional service

List of clients, What we do, Our philosophy, Who we are, Experience, Summary

What we do;

How can I change my outdoor spaces ?

How can I involve the children / the parents / the staff?

How much will it all cost?

Will I need planning consent?

How can I make the process fun and full of learning?

We answer all these questions for you - and more

We offer several different levels of service - always tailored to provide exactly the help you need.

We can design and build a complete Outdoor learning environment for you.

We can work with you and your children to define the 'vision' of the outdoor environment you want to create, and then we can help you set up the right project structure to make it happen.

We can work with a group of your children to involve them fully in, and learn from, the process of design and managing change.

We can work with you to develop the way you use of the outdoors as a critical part of a child's learning environment.

We can provide high quality training for you and your staff; how to develop your outside space and, importantly, how to use it .

Always, in the first instance, we come out to you to discuss what you want to achieve;

a free one hour consultation within 30 mile radius of Rugby, Warwickshire.

"You've changed a space where nobody wanted to go into a magical place where everyone wants to be" Headteacher

"You've made our dreams come true - thank you Simon" Reception class teacher

"We chose you Simon because you do it with us rather than to us." Headteacher

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Our Philosophy;

We believe the best results will be achieved by, as far as is practical, being

Inclusive; No-one has a monopoly on good ideas. The more people you involve in the project, the better you'll understand the problems and opportunities, and the better will be the solutions ...and the more fun it will be.

Integrated; It has to fit with how you want to do things now and into the future. The design, the use and the maintenance of the outside spaces is of greatest value when it is an integral part of the way you do things - and the way you want to do things.

Developing; The outside space is never completely finished. It's layout and use needs to be managed, maintained and developed in tandem with your education philosophy and the way that changes through time.

Affordable: Don't aim so high that the goal is out of reach! Be imaginative but realistic, and your resources (likely to be limited) will deliver the greatest value and ensure that you achieve the fullest potential benefits from your outdoor spaces.

It's not just money that gets things done; parent power, grants, fund-raising, sponsorship, media; We can advise on how to make your pounds go so much further.

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Who we are;

Simon and Sue with the RHS medal 2005

Simon is a qualified and experienced Architect and Project Manager. He works with you to develop the brief, leads the design process and advises on how best to make the changes (contractors? or parent power? … or both!).

His 'Childs' Play' design for GWL 2005 won an RHS silver award and since then he has been in great demand - for his unique and sensitive approach to developing outside spaces in Early Years settings.

Sue is an Associate Tutor on the Early Years and Primary PGCE (ITT) courses at the University of Warwick. She was previously the Foundation Manager at St Andrews Benn C.E. Primary School in Rugby and then an Early Years Advisory Teacher for Warwickshire. With her knowledge and understanding of the curricula she can offer support to fully exploit the teaching and learning potential of the available spaces.

Her 16 years of experience in Early Years education and her passion to make outside spaces stimulating and creative makes her a driving force of the team.

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Experience;

RHS Silver award winner for the 'Childs' Play' garden in the Gardeners' World Live Show 2005.

Ongoing project 'sponsorship' from Warwickshire County to enable and support improvements in various Early Years and Primary settings.

Many projects in Coventry, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire for Children's Centres, Schools, private and state funded settings - see List of clients below

Delivering high quality training through EDS in Warwickshire.

We are a full professional member of Learning Through Landscapes.

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Summary;

A personal, passionate, tailored, unique, professional and friendly service - helping you and your children to get the best out of your outdoor spaces.

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List of clients;

Arden Hill Infant School, Atherstone; Arnold Lodge, Leamington; Boddington Primary, Boddington, Northants; Cawston Grange Primary, Rugby; Cheylesmore Community Centre, Coventry; Claverdon Primary School; Croft School, Stratford; Dunchurch Infants; Surestart, Foleshill, Coventry; Hedgerows Pre-School, Coventry; Hillmorton Primary School, Rugby; Hillmorton Childrens Centre, Rugby; Hodge Hill Primary, Birmingham; Hope Hamilton Primary, Leicester; Ilmington Primary, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire; Leamington Hastings Infant School, Rugby; Newbold Riverside Children Centre, Rugby; Oakfield Children Centre, Rugby; Race Leys Infant School, Bedworth; Rokeby Primary, Rugby; Shenington Primary School, Banbury; Southfields Primary, Coventry; Stockingford Infants, Nuneaton; Studley Infants, Studley; Tanworth-in-Arden Primary, Solihull; Telford Infants, Leamington; Welford-on-Avon Primary, Stratford; Westgate Primary, Warwick; Whitnash Primary, Leamington; Wise Owls pre-school, Nuneaton; Wolvey Primary, Hinckley ...

... among others!

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