School Projects 2008
Ashcott Primary had begun their garden and were planning to add rabbit-proof fencing, a cold frame and a polytunnel. They have contact with a school in Kenya and will establish a Kenyan keyhole garden.
Cossington Primary had plans for raised beds, planters and water butts. They will grow vegetables for their own home-made soup which they make once a week.
Courtfields School want to create a sensory garden for the disabled children to have as a nice place for break time and lunch time. At the moment they can only access the tarmac playground. The scheme is being promoted by the new deputy head. During activities week, she will get the art students to create pieces of art to fulfil the sight and sound elements and has already lined up and costed everything necessary. The area is a mess at the moment but will look splendid at the end of the work. Her second scheme is to provide an area for bereaved children to plant something that has meaning for them. This will be a long term project to create whatever comes out of the planting, e.g. a woodland, a shrubbery etc.
Merriott First School already have vegetable plots and children were seen working on them during our visit; the whole school is becoming involved. Broadbeans and potatoes were already growing but they need garden tools. The greenhouse was in the process of being erected by two parents and they need to buy staging for it.
Shipham First School will revitalise a corner of the grounds to provide a quiet, sensory garde which can operate as an outside classroom, useful to many areas of the curriculum but also a focus for their Green Club which promotes environmental issues.
Trinity School has a garden club and which has become rather a mess. The application asked for various things to be done - most of which have already been done - but the fruit, herb and raised beds also need the same treatment. The installation of proper containing edges and hard paths would be of real benefit, as they are overgrown with pernicious weeds because the membrane has broken down. Children from the garden club were on hand to show what was wanted as they are quite keen. The work that has been done so far has been well done and has vastly improved things for the teacher who runs the club.
Upton Noble Primary needed a grant to enable them to take their garden club to visit the Eden Project; this would provide encouragement and ideas for re-vamping their school garden.