Growing Schools is a DCSF project managed by FACE.

Welcome to the Growing Schools Newsletter for Late Spring 2010

Snowdrops, hardy cyclamen and winter jasmine all try to convince us that spring has arrived, but it’s still hard to imagine that Easter is less than a month away. In this bumper-sized issue you’ll find news of the first Growing Schools Garden awards, a new Early Years resource about food, and events for children and adults on a wide range of themes.

There’s also details of several engaging projects you may like to get involved in from charting your local trees to growing food to give away. And finally a competition for the best pallet-sized plot, to be entered at an RHS garden near you.

If there’s anything you’d like to ask on any aspect of Growing Schools, just drop us a line and we’ll try to help. Also, don’t forget to send us all your news, events andsuggestions for the newsletter and website.

We hope your seed sowing and planting are going well, and all your outdoor activities are blossoming.

Rose and Tom, Growing Schools
growingschools@face-online.org.uk

News

Peter Seabrook to give keynote speech at Growing Schools Conference

Gardening writer and broadcaster Peter Seabrook MBE will open the Growing Schools Conference, to be held at Oxford Botanic Garden on Thursday 25th March. Gardening Editor of the Sun for over 30 years, Peter has a wealth of experience in the horticultural industry to share in his own inimical style. (See Events below for more on the conference)

First Growing Schools Garden awards

Working with the Botanic Gardens Education Network (BGEN), Growing Schools has developed an award for gardens that provide advice and training for schools, and demonstrate how gardens can be used for active learning across the curriculum. Gardens of all kinds, including school gardens, are eligible for the new awards and you can find out more on the BGEN website.

For a flavour of what Growing Schools Gardens can offer, take a look at the case studies for the first three award winners: 
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Cambridge University Botanic Garden and 
Durham University Botanic Garden.

Renewable World launch

Growing Schools innovative, web-based resource The Renewable World was formally launched by Diana Johnson MP (DCSF Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools) at Kew Gardens on 24th February 2010. She described it as an excellent resource, showing how the decisions we make every day affect the planet, and encouraging young people to think about the future. The resource is aimed at KS3 and uses a range of interactive challenges to introduce students to the significance of renewable materials and the part they can play in helping to build a more sustainable future. To see for yourself go towww.renewableworld.org.uk.

Events Diary

17 Mar to 18 Jun Cultivations Focus Days

Cultivations work to re-engage disadvantaged, disaffected and isolated people within the wider community thourgh horticultural and environmental projects. They are holding 12 Focus Days across the country to share the benefits of their approach. 
For more information go to their website.

23 Mar Designs for Learning Conference, London

Organised by Learning through Landscapes for all those involved in the design and development of schools involved in capital build programmes. For more information and booking details visitwww.ltl.org.uk .

25 Mar Growing Schools Conference, Oxford

Based at Oxford’s historic and attractive Botanic Gardens, this national conference is the ideal opportunity for learning, debating and networking; and we extend a warm invitation to everyone with an interest in using the living environment in education.

For more information, and booking details, 
visit the website.

19-20 May Farming and Countryside Live

A country fair for primary school children at Ledston Estate near Castleford, centrally situated between the M1, A1 and M62 motorways. For further details go to the website or email barbara-brannigan@countrysidefoundation.org.uk

8 Jun Forest Schools Seminar

Hands-on event at Swallowtailhill Farm, East Sussex. Forest School trainers from Sussex Wildlife Trust will show how a Forest School can not only help people appreciate and enjoy their local woodland but also support and enrich a wide range of curriculum subjects. Read more.

16-17 Jun Fun, Food and Farming Festival.

A new event for schools at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire offering an exciting mix of demonstrations and hands-on activities, covering many aspects of country life. Suitable for both primary and secondary schools, advance booking is essential. Read more.

29 Jun-1 Jul The World Outside the Classroom Conference

This exciting summer conference will inspire teachers, designers, artists, educationalists – in fact all those interested in helping children get the best possible experiences from their grounds. Day one will be full of practical, outdoor experiences at the internationally renowned Coombes Primary School. On day two participants will be able to visit innovative schools in the South East of England to see how they make the most of their grounds. Day three will be a celebration of school grounds around the world as speakers from Europe, the Americas and Australasia tell us about what is happening in their part of the globe. Delegates may participate for one, two or three days. For more information and booking details visit www.ltl.org.uk .

Resource Highlights

All about food

Brand new Growing Schools resource for Early Years practitioners, packed with information and ideas for activities and visits for young children, all linked to growing, eating and exploring food.

Visit to the Growing Schools Early Years area.

RSPB Wild Square

Find out more about the wildlife in a kilometre square near your school through a variety of activities and surveys, then add your discoveries to a national, online database. Read more.

School Global Gardens Network

A global garden is designed to minimise its environmental impact in a world facing climate change and increased demand for limited resources such as water and oil. The website has links to a cornucopia of resources to help you use your school garden to explore global issues. Read more.

Foodshare

The Foodshare Growing to Give project is encouraging every school in the UK and around the world to create a Foodshare Bed and grow fresh produce for a local charity. The Growing to Give project originally started as an idea at Milton Primary School in Cambridgeshire. The children decided to create a Foodshare Bed on their school allotment to grow for the children at the Milton Hospice half a mile away. The school will be setting up a ‘Donation Station’ for parents to bring surplus produce from their garden too. Read more.

Beagle Project

Join a Europe-wide scientific research project by monitoring seasonal changes in your local trees. A detailed teacher’s guide, ideas for linked activities and identification resources are all available on the website.

Potatoes for Schools new website

Grow Your Own Potatoes, organised by Potato Council, has a new website for primary school teachers. www.potatoesforschools.org.uk is now easier to use and features downloadable resources including worksheets, PowerPoint presentations and factsheets. In addition, videos, recipes, games and colouring sheets provide interactive ideas for classroom activities. Potato Council has also produced a downloadable Teacher’s Guide, which includes 12 lesson plans for Key Stages 1 and 2.

Updates from Partners

Bring and Buy to benefit FACE

Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) has been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from the proceeds of Britain’s Biggest Bring & Buy Sale, promoted by Country Living magazine as part of its Your Countryside Needs You campaign. Read more.

Fruit-Full Schools from Learning through Landscapes

This new, four-year programme will enable schools to establish heritage fruit orchards within their school grounds in partnership with their local communities. It aims to stimulate children’s knowledge of the UK’s rich fruit culture engaging them in hands-on learning about the benefits of local fruit. 65,000 children will run and take part in cultural festivals such as Wassailing and Apple Day and schools will also be able to share experiences and access learning resources through Learning through Landscapes’ interactive site - The Core – which will include details of all the Fruit-Full Schools activities.

To find out more email fruitfullschools@ltl.org.uk or call 0208 850 3112. 

Screengrabs  

Growing Schools Case Studies

Growing Schools embraces a huge variety of educational practice using different aspects of the living environment to deliver hands-on learning. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the range of case studies now available, which include early years settings, schools, community farms and gardens, and FE colleges.

Visit the Growing Schools Case Studies.

Competition

Budding Gardeners at the RHS

If your school is near one of the four RHS gardens (Wisley in Surrey, Hyde Hall in Essex, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire and Rosemoor in Devon) this Competition offers pupils aged 4 to 16 the chance to show off their green skills and be in with the chance of winning 'Best in Show' amongst other prize categories.

Each school only needs to design and plant up a small 1m x 1m pallet garden on Friday 28 May 2010 to take part.

Applications must be submitted by 1 April 2010. Read more

If you have any questions about visits or growing send your questions for possible inclusion in the next issue to: growingschoolsqanda@face-online.org.uk

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