School Projects 2007
Ansford Secondary in Castle Cary wanted to refurbish an unused area of ground to provide a quiet area, to grow fruits, herbs and vegetables for Food Technology lessons, and to provide dyeing ingredients for Textiles Technology.
Churchstanton Primary planned to provide raised beds in a playground area to give good access to growing areas and to meet the needs of their eco-school status.
Dunster Pre-School has an allotment. This is used for herbs, vegetables, fruit and flowers, some of which are eaten at school, some taken home and some entered in local garden shows. Parents, grandparents and other allotment holders all help and our grant was used for a motor mower and waterproof clothing.
Evercreech Primary planned an hexagonal garden with six raised beds, one per class, surrounding a paved teaching area.
Fiveways Special, who already provide varied garden environments, planned a sensory garden to meet the needs of their increasing numbers of pupils with greater physical and mental needs.
Halcon Primary in Taunton has a pupil action group, the eco-saviours, and needed raised beds and a greenhouse to grow vegetables.
Ilchester Infants had space outside a classroom already successfully used for growing. The classteacher wished to extend this, with the science curriculum in mind, to include weather monitoring equipment, habitats for worms and insects and study materials. Our grant was to provide the equipment, including a small greenhouse and shrubs to demarcate the area.
Long Sutton Primary used a comparatively large area to provide an outdoor classroom and to follow the local tradition of growing fruit trees. They intend to screen the oudoor classroom with shrubs.
Meare Primary’s Garden Club, run by a parent, promotes care of the school grounds and the wider environment, raising awareness of growth and lifecycles and respecting wildlife. They needed tools, raised beds and a polytunnel to extend the season.
Milford Infants in Yeovil planned to further develop their wildlife area, with the help of the children in the Environmental Club. They needed tools and to provide paths and seating.
Nether Stowey Primary runs a garden club and has a project to create a scented area, a willow area and an outdoor learning area.
Othery Primary has a disused area of garden that once belonged to the old school house. It adjoins the playground and could provide an alternative to tarmac at breaktimes. This project was still at an early stage of planning and the member of our Education Group who is a garden planner was able to help them with this. Fencing for safety will be their first expenditure.
Redstart Primary in Chard has established a Forest School which provides outdoor education for all of its pupils and planned to build raised beds for growing fruit and vegetables.
St. Andrew’s Primary in High Ham has a garden club run by a parent and needed to develop the available piece of ground using railway sleepers and the natural slope to create beds for plants for flowers and food.
St. Andrew’s Primary in Taunton, a town school with no field, has taken a corner from the playground and established a green area. Funds were needed to improve this facility by making birdboxes and feeders, by growing plants to enhance other areas of the school, to add to the small pond and to make log seating.
St. Michael’s First in Minehead’s garden club had two projects. They planned to grow flowers and vegetables and to develop a wildlife area, including a pond with resident newts. They needed tools, seeds and a small greenhouse.
The Priory in Taunton is a school for teenage boys with behaviour issues, some of whom are boarding. Excluded from mainstream education, they need a curriculum that engages them. They have rented a nearby allotment and the local allotment association is encouraging and supporting them. Their pressing need was for tools and basic equipment.
Timberscombe First, a small school of just 28 children, had been given a derelict allotment next to the school which they had cleared of rubbish. They now needed secure fencing, better access, raised beds, and plants and shrubs to encourage wildlife.
Wadham Secondary in Crewkerne wished to cultivate the disused garden of what was once the caretaker’s bungalow and is now a learning support unit. This will be used by children with special needs, some of whom may later work in agriculture.
Wells Central Junior have an area of ground used by their farm club. A polytunnel has been built and raised beds will extend gardening activities to every class. Units of Study will link gardening to the curriculum.