Frequently Asked Questions

All of the timber we use in our buildings is sourced from FSC or PEFC certified suppliers. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is a global organisation with the aim of ensuring the chain of custody of all timber products and that the sourcing forests are properly managed to ensure sustainability. This means that more trees are planted than those that are used. It also ensures fairness for the indigenous populations where these forests are located.

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is the largest worldwide forest certification system with around 220 million hectares of certified forests. Their aims are all associated with the sustainability of the supply of timber and doing that in an environmentally friendly way.

Both processes tracks timber through each stage of the supply chain, from felling through milling, transportation, import, distribution and finally to the point of use. This provides a level of transparency and traceability to guarantee compliance with demands for ethically sourced timber products.

There are so many! When students get outside, it is known to enhance their critical social and emotional learning skills, such as empathy. Also, it has been shown to enhance self-control, having care for others, and independent, self-directed learning. Moreover, spending time in nature helps to develop problem-solving abilities, focus, attention span, and executive function skills. It can bring abstract theories to life and emphasises learning by doing. Importantly, nature-led learning has been shown to result in higher academic achievement, as well as contributing to improved social skills.

Children are more active outdoors, and outdoor play reduces sedentary time, improving health outcomes. Step outside and get fresh air! Not just for the health benefit, but for improving attention levels too. Outdoor learning supports mental, physical, nutritional, and emotional health across all age groups and educational needs. Furthermore, nature-based outdoor environments can reduce stress and increase relaxation. 

Green school grounds provide a connection to nature and areas for children in urban communities where these may be less accessible. They lead to better social-emotional outcomes and enhance long-term health. 

Setting up a log cabin for your school couldn’t be easier with Cabins for Schools. From design to installation, our team of experts have your school covered.

We are proud to offer a design and build system for facilities for use in education. When you order your new school build, we will arrange a convenient delivery and installation schedule, with an affordable quote tailored to your needs. The cost of delivery and fitting depends on the size of your building, where you live, transportation distance and how many people you need to set up your school building. We install many of the smaller buildings, 14m & 17m log cabins, in just 1-2 days. 

Planning permission requirements for log cabins and outdoor eco classrooms vary depending on the size, location, and specific regulations in your area. It’s essential to consult your local planning authority to determine whether planning permission is needed for your project. In most cases, log cabins fall under permitted development rights, which do not require planning permission.

This depends on how your school intends to use your outdoor classroom or log cabin. We can design and fit great log cabins to suit the needs of your school. Whether you want a spacious cabin which accommodates a class of 30 or a smaller cabin perfect for smaller group work, our team of experts will work with you to create a fantastic educational space. Some schools create cosy reading nooks with beanbags and blankets, while other schools create music rooms and kit them out with drumkits and keyboards. You can check out some further popular uses here

Here are some general tips for creating a great log cabin for learning:

• Comfortable seating and work surfaces.
• Weather-resistant, durable materials to withstand outdoor conditions.
• Shade structures or canopy to protect from sun and rain.
• Storage solutions for educational materials and supplies.
• Accessibility features to ensure all students can participate.
• Nature-inspired elements, such as plants, gardens, or water features, to enhance the learning environment.
• Interactive elements, like whiteboards or chalkboards, for group activities.

An Outdoor Classroom is an additional building detached from the main school build. This means you have the freedom to choose where it’s placed on your school grounds. At Cabins for Schools, we have a range of Outdoor Classrooms and log cabins to suit the needs of your school. Outdoor Classrooms are gaining popularity as an effective and cost-efficient way to supplement the learning space available at schools. They’re also becoming more common due to the unique learning environments they provide. Schools find these spaces to be perfect for libraries, nature learning, and SEND.

Setting up an outdoor classroom couldn’t be easier with Cabins for Schools. From design to installation, our team of experts have your school covered.

We are proud to offer a design and build system for facilities for use in education. When you order your new school room, we will arrange a convenient delivery and installation schedule. We tailor our affordable quotes to your needs. The cost of delivery and fitting depends on the size of your building, where you live, transportation distance, and how many people will be required to set up your school building. 

There are so many! Firstly, when students get outside, it’s known to enhance their critical social and emotional learning skills, such as empathy. Also, it has been shown to enhance self-control, having care for others, and independent, self-directed learning. Moreover, time spent in nature helps to develop problem-solving abilities, focus, attention span, and executive function skills. It can bring abstract theories to life and emphasises learning by doing. Importantly, nature-led learning has been shown to result in higher academic achievement, as well as contributing to improved social skills.

Children are more active outdoors. Outdoor play reduces sedentary time, improving health outcomes. Step outside and get fresh air! Not just for the health benefit, but fresh air is great for attention levels too. Additionally, outdoor learning supports mental, physical, nutritional, and emotional health across all age groups and educational needs. Furthermore, nature-based outdoor environments can reduce stress and increase relaxation. 

Green school grounds provide a connection to nature for children in urban communities where this may be less accessible. They lead to better social-emotional outcomes and enhance long-term health. 

Planning permission requirements for outdoor eco classrooms vary depending on the size, location, and specific regulations in your area. It’s essential to consult your local planning authority to determine whether planning permission is needed for your project. In some cases, outdoor classrooms may fall under permitted development rights, which do not require planning permission.

Regulations and requirements can vary by region or country. It’s important to consult with local planning authorities or a planning consultant to understand the specific requirements for your area.  In most cases, our forest school log cabins fall under permitted development rights, which do not require planning permission.

A great place to start when establishing a forest school is to provide durable shelter from the elements so learning can continue through all weathers and all year round. Our log cabins are the idea base for forest school.

A Forest School provides children with immersive, hands-on learning experiences in a natural outdoor environment. Its primary goals are to foster a connection with nature, promote personal and social development, and enhance practical skills through active exploration and play. Key aspects include:

• Outdoor Learning: Children engage in activities such as bushcraft, wildlife observation, and nature-based problem-solving, which are designed to stimulate curiosity and creativity.

• Personal Growth: The program encourages independence, resilience, and confidence through challenging yet supportive outdoor experiences.

• Social Skills: Collaborative tasks and group activities foster communication, teamwork, and empathy among peers.

• Practical Skills: Children develop life skills such as risk assessment, problem-solving, and physical coordination through practical, hands-on tasks.

Overall, Forest School aims to create a dynamic learning environment that complements traditional classroom education by integrating the natural world into the learning process.

Forest School is typically offered to early years pupils through to Key Stage 2, making it most commonly aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 7. This age group is thought to benefit the most from outdoor and practical play, which supports their cognitive and social development in a natural setting.

However, many schools, including Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, extend Forest School programs to older students, sometimes up to the age of 12. This ensures that a wider range of learners can continue to benefit from outdoor education, hands-on learning, and the development of critical life skills beyond the early years.

• Forest schools are a long-term process. They involve regular, structured sessions rather than infrequent visits to the outdoors
  
  
• Forest school takes place in a natural environment, not just the school playground. The most common setting is a woodland setting or forestry areas. This is to develop a child's relationship with the natural world
  
  
• Forest school programmes are user-centred designed to create a community for developing and learning together
  
  
• Forest schooling aims to foster confidence, resilience, independence and creativity in its learners
  
  
• Designed to offer opportunities for risks (which are supported and supervised by forest school leaders)
  
  
• Forest schools are to be run by qualified forest school practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice

A modular nursery is a childcare building made from prefabricated sections built off-site and assembled on location. Modular nursery buildings are a fast, cost-effective solution to expanding nursery space with minimal disruption during installation.

Planning permission requirements for modular nursery buildings vary depending on the size, location, and specific regulations in your area. It’s essential to consult your local planning authority to determine whether planning permission is needed for your project. In some cases, modular nursery buildings may fall under permitted development rights, which do not require planning permission.

Improving your SEND provision can be significantly enhanced by investing in one of our log cabins or outdoor classrooms. By investing in one of our bespoke log cabins or outdoor classrooms, your school can offer improved, personalized support for SEND students, enhancing their learning experience and promoting wellbeing.

SEN (Special Educational Needs) provision is essential because it ensures that students with diverse needs receive the support, resources, and tailored learning environments necessary for their success. SEN provision is crucial for promoting fairness, inclusion, and long-term success for all students, ensuring they reach their full potential in a supportive, understanding environment.

Good SEN provision ensures that students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) receive the personalized support they need to thrive in their education. Here's what it looks like:

1. Tailored Support and Differentiation

2. Inclusive Classroom Environment

3. Strong Communication and Collaboration

4. Well-Trained Staff

5. Support for Wellbeing

6. Regular Monitoring and Evaluation

7. Inclusive Extra-Curricular Opportunities

Good SEN provision is proactive, student-centred, and flexible, ensuring that every child’s learning journey is fully supported, both academically and emotionally.

A modular office building is an additional building made from prefabricated sections built off-site and assembled on location. Modular office buildings are a fast, cost-effective solution to creating extra meeting room or admin space with minimal disruption during installation.

Planning permission requirements for modular office buildings vary depending on the size, location, and specific regulations in your area. It’s essential to consult your local planning authority to determine whether planning permission is needed for your project. In some cases, modular office buildings may fall under permitted development rights, which do not require planning permission.

All Cabins for Schools buildings come with our ten-year manufacturer’s warranty. This warranty guarantees the replacement of any component parts should they be found to be defective within this period, however, it does not cover accidental damage or weather damage once the building is constructed. Customers should also note that timber is a natural product and prone to changes in appearance, including some movement and the occurrence of small knot holes or splits in extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Splits, knots, or similar visual imperfections in the timber not affecting the structural integrity of the building will not be accepted as a valid reason for a claim against our warranty.

This is in addition to our supplier’s warranties/guarantees.

Roofing Shingles – we only use CE-marked Kerabit High-performance SBS-modified roofing shingles which are guaranteed for ten years.

Any timber bases we fit are supported on “TANALISED” timber which has been impregnated with a preservative solution under high pressure in an industrial vessel. This treatment process ensures deep penetration into the timber cells, for a longer-lasting protective result against fungal decay and insect attack than the application of a surface coating. Pressure-treated timber is leach resistant, ensuring a long and trouble-free service life in a wide range of conditions, and assured performance in sensitive environments such as vegetable plots and areas of wildlife. Desired service lives range from 60 years for internal timbers and 30 years for external timbers such as fence posts in ground contact.

Windows

Should any defect occur to our UPVC or Aluminium Windows, Doors (including Bi-Folds) within the specified time limit from the date of installation due to defective materials or workmanship, we undertake to replace the faulty parts free of charge provided that:

1. The product has not been misused or carelessly handled.
2. The product has not been subjected to extreme heat or low temperatures, impact, industrial emissions, chemicals or abrasives other than would be used for normal cleaning purposes.
3. Repairs have not been attempted by people other than our own staff.
4. Damage to any product has been reported to the installation team prior to them leaving site.

Background Ventilation – Best Practice Guide

It is important that the cabin can constantly breathe, good air quality is important for health and also helps protect the fabric of the building from harmful effects of mould and condensation, etc. Background ventilation such as trickle ventilation (if specified) and night vents (standard on our casement windows) can help to achieve this.

Please ensure all ironmongery is cleaned and lubricated every six months.

We recommend silicone spray or WD40 to lubricate window hinges, window locking mechanisms, and door locking mechanisms. In addition, they should be kept clean and free from debris.

Please ensure that composite doors are kept in the locked position or ensure that the handle has been lifted so the locks engage into the outer frame.

Window Guarantee Period

• Installation / Labour 10 Years
• Building Work 10 Years
• PVCU Finish /Colour (Windows and Doors) 10 Years (Std White Deceuninck Finish 20 Years)
• PVCU Window and Door Frame Fabrication 10 Years
• PVCU Vacuum Formed Moulded Door Panels (Including flat PVCU panels) 5 Years
• Glass Units 5 Years
• Pilkington Conservatory Roof Glass Units 10 Years (Manufacturers Guarantee)
• Polycarbonate Roof Glazing 18 Months
• Handles, hinges and Ironmongery 1 Year –Ensure all ironmongery (locks and hinges) are well lubricated

All sprayed finishes as per the manufacturers guarantee/guidelines.

Please be aware that external ironmongery is subject to pitting as it weathers. Industry standard product guidelines and individual manufacturing tolerances apply to all our products.

A modular classroom is an educational building constructed using prefabricated components which are built off-site and then assembled at your site. Modular classrooms are often used to increase the available learning and teaching space within schools. Since modular classrooms are designed to be versatile, they are great for educational institutions looking to offer additional learning experiences or to create space for a range of support sessions on school grounds.

All of our buildings sit on a solid, level base, but what that looks like in practice depends on the product and the site.

For outdoor classrooms, eco school rooms and log cabins, we most commonly use a post and beam system. This is quick to install, causes minimal disruption to the ground and works well on slightly uneven sites. It is suitable for grass, earth or tarmac. We also offer a screwpile system, which may be preferable on a sloping site or where the building will be used for heavier activities. In either case, we require the area to be clear of trees and shrubs before we arrive. If anything needs to be removed, that will need to be arranged in advance.

If you are providing your own concrete base, it needs to be built to the correct dimensions, level across its full surface and solid enough to prevent any movement. We send detailed guidance on this and ask you to share photos before installation day so we can confirm everything is ready.

For permanent buildings, the base is designed as part of the project and will be either screw piles or concrete. We manage this process in full.

The most important thing is that we specify everything clearly before installation day.

Wraparound childcare offers numerous benefits for children, families, and schools.

• Allows parents to work or study more flexibly
• Provides additional support for vulnerable children
• Offers engaging activities that children enjoy
• Enhances the school’s appeal to prospective parents
• Encourages a smooth start to the school day and improves attendance
• Offers the potential to reinvest fees into school resources or community facilities

Our outdoor classrooms and eco school rooms are built to last for many decades with basic maintenance, and we offer a ten-year guarantee as standard.

Our permanent buildings are constructed to full Building Regulations standards and are built for long-term use, comparable in lifespan to a traditional school extension.

Log cabins are made from slow-grown Scandinavian timber from sustainably managed forests, which is naturally durable. We have log cabins in schools across the UK that are over twenty years old and still going strong. Keeping on top of periodic retreatment of the timber will extend the life of the building considerably, and these too come with our ten-year guarantee as standard.

In the first instance, we carry out a video call to discuss your brief and assess the site using satellite mapping. This lets us work efficiently and keeps things straightforward for you without needing to arrange an on-site visit at that early stage. If any further checks are needed, we will visit in person once you are ready to proceed. 

• Maximising natural light & ventilation 

• Having openable windows with views of the sky and trees that also allow the external natural soundscape to be heard

• Using natural materials and textures in the internal and external fit out for increased sensory experience

• Providing access to landscaped settings, as both retreat spaces and communal areas, which (however small) incorporate a whole ecosystem – including fauna, flora, rocks and water within them.

No, you will not need a crane. Our buildings are constructed on site by our own installation teams, and the process is designed to be as quick and unobtrusive as possible.

For outdoor classrooms and eco school rooms, the main installation typically takes between three and five days depending on the size of the building. The base, vinyl flooring and painting are each done on separate visits either side of the main build.

For log cabins, installation is completed within one to four days in most cases.

For permanent buildings, the programme is longer given the scale and the Building Regulations process involved. A typical permanent building project is complete within three to four weeks on site, and we will give you a full timeline as part of the project plan.

From the point of order through to your building being ready to use, the typical lead time for outdoor classrooms and log cabins is between eight and twelve weeks. This can vary depending on our installation schedule and whether planning is required, but we will always give you a realistic timescale upfront.

Yes, and many schools prefer it. Our installation teams work throughout the year, including during term time. All team members hold a basic DBS check, and we plan every installation carefully to minimise disruption to the school day. We observe drop-off and pick-up restrictions, maintain a safe exclusion zone around the build area and work closely with the site manager throughout.

Some schools prefer holiday installations for peace of mind, and those dates do tend to fill up earlier. If you have a specific holiday slot in mind, it is worth speaking to us sooner rather than later.

Either way, we will work around what suits your school best.

Holiday installation slots are popular and book up well in advance, particularly over the summer. If you are hoping for a summer holiday installation, it is worth getting in touch as early in the year as possible to secure a date. We will always be upfront about availability and suggest the earliest realistic slot for your project.

Very possibly, yes. We have installed buildings in hundreds of schools across the UK, and our interactive schools map on the website shows completed installations by location. Many of our customers are happy to welcome prospective schools for a visit, and we can often help facilitate an introduction.
We also have a permanent showroom near Nottingham where you can see a full-size outdoor classroom and sensory room, fitted out and ready to walk around. It gives you a much clearer sense of the space, the quality and the finish than any photograph can. We would love to show you around.

There are several routes schools use to fund our buildings and we are happy to help you explore them. Pupil premium is one of the most commonly used, particularly where the building will be used for SEND support, interventions or nurture provision. Schools can use pupil premium for any provision that demonstrably benefits disadvantaged pupils, and a dedicated intervention or support space makes a strong case.
Other schools draw on capital budget, PTA fundraising, grants through organisations such as the National Lottery, or local authority funding. Some opt for finance, which spreads the cost over time and allows the project to move forward without the full sum needing to be available upfront.
We work with a funding partner who can carry out a free funding review for your school and identify the most relevant options for your circumstances. Just ask us and we will set that up for you.

We post the latest funding opportunities and grants on our funding for schools page. 

Yes. Our buildings are fitted with robust, quality door and window hardware as standard. The external cladding and construction are solid and durable, and security is very much part of the design. Many schools have had their buildings in place for years without any issues.
If you have specific security concerns about your site, please mention them during your assessment and we can talk through the options with you.

Yes. Our buildings are built for schools, not gardens, and that is reflected in the materials and construction throughout. Whether you opt for Marley board, Knotwood, cedar or redwood cladding, all of our external finishes are robust and chosen for their durability in a school environment. The interiors are lined and finished to a standard that holds up to everyday school life.