The Inner Dancer at Great Oaks School

Award-winning landscape designer, Matt Le Gassick, founder of Inbud has partnered with Great Oaks school to create the 'Inner Dancer', an external education and wellbeing space.

This incredible garden will form one of many Showcase Gardens at the BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair at Beaulieu, taking place from the 3rd-5th May this year to raise awareness of the amazing work being carried out at Great Oaks School. Not only this, the garden will be reinstated as a permanent installation at the school at Bugle House in Southampton after the event. However to do this we need your help!

Graham Carter who runs the school at Bugle House has adopted a unique and tailored approach to specialist education, catering for the needs of young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). His approach is inspired by the life and journey of Dame Gillian Lynne. Bugle House's ethos is to help students with varying needs, coupled with adverse childhood traumas to overcome their difficulties and pursue a gift they can bring to the world and in doing so help them find their 'Inner Dancer'.

The ‘Inner Dancer’ design encompasses the school's unique approach to education, providing an innovative and inviting space from which the children can learn, strive and thrive, offering inspiration through the senses for the minds of the future.

A series of timber fins create a maze, with windows offering glimpses within, tempting the visitor onwards. As the labyrinth unfolds, a series of interlinking paths, communal areas and secluded pockets, set out in a radial format, entice those within to indulge further; for people to explore and get lost within, as a reflection of life’s path.

At the heart of the garden is a natural gathering space, sheltered by the vertical timber and finished with an abundance of vibrant plants. It is a place to learn and play, a sanctuary to unwind in, a place to seek their Inner Dancer.

The garden features a plethora of native species, inspired by the wider landscapes of the New Forest and South Downs, this deliberate inception will allow students to learn, interact and familiarise themselves with the local landscapes and environments. This will provide a platform from which external parties may interact and engage with the students further, highlighting the vital role we can play in revival, conservation and preserving nature.

The students from Great Oaks School will be actively involved in the creating the garden and reinstating it in their school premises after the Spring Fair.

All money raised will go towards rebuilding the garden as a permanent installation for the school at the Bugle House site in Southampton. Any additional funding raised will go to support the redevelopment of the outdoor spaces at the other school sites to benefit the whole school community and beyond.

The garden will also benefit the wider community as we plan to open up the space at dedicated times for other children, staff and members of the community to enjoy and learn.

From Inbud and Great Oaks School, we want to say a big thank you for your support. We'd love to see you at BBC Gardens’ World Spring Fair where you can see the garden in all its glory before its relocation.

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Graham Carter, Personalised Pathway Manager at Bugle House Great Oaks School:

‘At Bugle House, I grow human beings, nurturing their inner dancers, fostering a love for learning, creativity, and self-expression. I'm thrilled to be part of this project which will deepen Bugle House's impact, offering students a beautiful, encouraging space to flourish. Seeing the garden at the show and installed at Bugle will be a true joy and will enhance what is already a special place for our students.’