However, a number of conditions apply to obtaining the subsidy:
- The applicant: is a primary school in Overijssel; contributes at least €7,500 itself to the activity; has not previously received a subsidy for the schoolyard under the Nature and Society subsidy scheme.
- The process guidance is provided by an expert with demonstrable experience. You can use a list of experts on the website www.groeneschoolpleinenoverijssel.nl for this purpose. If you choose your own expert, you must be able to refer to two other projects of this kind that they have carried out.
- The design is, or has been, prepared by an expert with demonstrable experience. You can use a list of experts on the website www.groeneschoolpleinenoverijssel.nl for this purpose. If you choose your own expert, you must be able to refer to two other projects of this kind that they have designed.
- Subsidy can only be applied for if the green schoolyard is also being implemented in full or in part.
- The subsidy cannot be used for: normal repairs or maintenance work on the schoolyard, or: the purchase of play equipment.
A green schoolyard is a natural play and learning environment with the following characteristics:
- A green schoolyard offers a rich play and learning landscape with room both for children to play freely and for nature to develop.
- At least 50% of the playable area of the school environment has a natural character. We distinguish between green surfaces (grass, shrubs and trees), unpaved surfaces (wood chips, sand) and paved surfaces (tiles).
- Different forms of greenery can be distinguished, such as: recreational greenery (playing in and with greenery), educational greenery, and edible and fragrant greenery.
- A green schoolyard is furnished with predominantly natural, sustainable materials, with the reuse of materials taking priority.
- The plants in a green schoolyard are preferably native, suited to the natural conditions of that location and provide seasonal variation. Wherever possible, the planting and layout provide opportunities to improve conditions for Overijssel's species of special attention.
- The layout of the yard contributes to biodiversity and to preventing water nuisance and heat stress (green façades, green roofs, shade trees).
- Children can find challenging and dynamic nature and experience nature from head to toe; children of all ages can explore boundaries and take acceptable risks.
- The play environment offers space for rest, experiencing nature, creative forms of play and adventurous movement. The basis for this lies in the diversity and variety of the yard, with features such as high/low, wet/dry and shade/sun.
- Children can play with both abiotic nature (such as sand and water) and living nature. This creates opportunities to explore, innovate, imagine and create through play. The presence of loose natural materials is a prerequisite for this (such as sand, branches, stones, etc.).
- The use of the outdoor space is integrated into the curriculum. In addition to opportunities to teach language and maths lessons in the yard, for example, children can also learn about plants, animals, weather phenomena and natural materials.
- Children, the teaching team, parents and neighbours are involved as actively as possible in the design, construction and maintenance.
On the website www.groeneschoolpleinenoverijssel.nl a document can also be downloaded listing all subsidies and funds available for creating a green schoolyard.
The website www.groeneschoolpleinenoverijssel.nl also contains a 10-step plan for creating a green schoolyard: