Pupils and staff from Foxwood School are very grateful to Jamie Linwood who inspired our music specialist teacher, Georgina Cartledge to create our wonderful Gamelan Garden. Georgina worked very closely with Jamie in the planning stages and Jamie built the instruments and helped erect them in the woodland area of the school. The Gamelan Garden is a favourite place for many of our pupils who have severe, complex and profound learning difficulties; they really enjoy playing the instruments and listening to the emotive sounds that they are creating. The huge instruments have enabled pupils to create music together easily; they almost become as one with each other which is a great achievement. Many pupils are enchanted by the vibration and changing sounds that they can make. This is so for all pupils, young and old; the three year olds get as much from the garden as the eighteen year olds, they just have to stand on blocks to reach the akidinda that’s all! Youngsters with autism have been able to express themselves well within the comfort zone of the Gamelan Garden. The awe and wonder that the garden creates is extremely captivating for the pupils and often they do not want to leave when their session has finished. The garden is used all year round despite challenging weather. Thank you Jamie Linwood.

Corinne Owen
DHT/Education Manager
Foxwood School, Kent