Growing Schools is a Department for Education project managed by FACE.

Welcome to the Growing Schools Newsletter for Early Spring 2011

And Happy New Year! In this issue you will find details of four conferences of interest to the practitioner in the outdoor classroom, including our own Growing Schools conference in March. We also highlight some interesting CPD opportunities including Farm Safety and Bushcraft while for those on a tight budget there are two offers of discounted courses.

You can also find details of two reports based on research supported by Growing Schools and produced by the RHS and NAFSO demonstrating the value of gardening and other outdoor activities to children and young people with special educational needs.

Get your skates on if you want to enter the Sensory Garden Challenge or the Best Breakfast Gizmo competition as they are only open for a few weeks. You’ve a bit more time to enter a scarecrow for the Hampton Court Show. Details in the Competitions section at the end of the newsletter.

We hope the winter has not done too much damage to your garden and you are able to plan lots of rewarding growing activities for the coming months.

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

News

Growing Schools Growing Year Planner

By popular demand the attractive, informative and FREE Growing Year Planner has been reprinted. Packed with ideas for what to grow and how to grow it, suggestions for learning opportunities arising from growing fruit and vegetables, recipes and wildlife notes. Order your copy.

Every School a Food-growing School

This report, complied by a coalition of gardening and education charities including FACE, FCFCG and RHS, highlights the benefits of food-growing activities in schools. It makes the case for the Department for Education ensuring that every school provides the opportunity for children to reap these benefits which include developing enterprise skills and community spirit, as well as healthier lifestyles. 

Download the report

Learning Outside the Classroom Award winners

The overall winner of the LOTC Award for Excellence and Innovation 2010 was Western Springs Community Primary School, Staffordshire where a revised creative curriculum and LOtC activities over the last three years have helped lift the school out of special measures. For details of the 12 other winners read more.

Events Diary

Reminders from the last issue

19 Jan 2011 to 1 Jul 2011 RHS and Growing Schools CPD days

Training days throughout the country on all aspects of gardening in schools. Discount packages now available on multiple bookings as follows: £100 for 1 course

See the Growing Schools Training Map for more details.

14 Mar 2011 to 9 May 2011 Keeping animals in your school CPD

A variety of courses organised by the School Farms Network. Read more.

23 Mar Growing Schools Conference: From the ground up, Ryton Gardens, West Midlands

Keynote speech by Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University and President of Garden Organic; suppliers exhibition and networking opportunities; plus a choice of engaging workshops including Field studies in the garden, Working with willow, Eggs throughout the curriculum and Edible window boxes. Book before January 31st and save £20 per person. 

Read more.

1-2 Jul 2011 National School Farms Conference

West Somerset Community College, Minehead, Somerset 
For everyone involved in helping to give students the opportunity to care for livestock in schools. For more information, or to offer help, contact ian@farmgarden.org.uk. 

New Events

23-29 January Farmhouse Breakfast Week

Thousands of children regularly skip breakfast every day yet research shows that by eating a healthy balanced breakfast, pupils’ concentration, mood and energy levels will be improved. This annual event sponsored by the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) has a new theme ‘Shake Up Your Wake Up’ and provides a free school activity pack together with free posters, stickers and recipe booklets. There is also a linked competition – see Competitions at the end of the newsletter.

Read more. Also see Competitions at the end of this newsletter.

1 and 11 Feb Confidence in Learning Outside the Classroom, Deal, Kent

Course provided by Rippledown environmental education centre to help teachers develop their knowledge of fieldwork skills. Read more

16-18 Feb LTL Professional Acreditation Programme, Doncaster

Three-day course for teachers and other professionals with at least two years school grounds or early years outdoors experience who wish to gain accreditation from Learning through Landscapes. Read more

2 Mar FACE and Farms for Schools East Midlands and Eastern Regions Conference, Peterborough
3 Mar FACE and Farms for Schools Southern Region Conference, Brogdale, Kent

These conferences will provide the ideal opportunity to meet and hear from farmers involved in educational activities. Whether you are just starting off or well under way with visits there will be plenty of tips and ideas on how farms can deliver safe and engaging educational days out. 

East Midlands and Eastern Region Conference Information
South Region Conference Information

3 Mar Growing Schools North West Network Meeting

Growing Schools is hosting a networking conference for school staff and practitioners from across the North West. The aim is to bring people together, to discover each others projects, find out how best to work together and share best practice. Read More.

10 Mar Farm Safety Activities, Penkridge, Stafford

This FACE seminar is an opportunity for teachers and farmers to discover how the farm can be a brilliant tool to help teach children about keeping safe by taking personal responsibility for identifying and managing risks. The activities have been developed and trialled by schools on farms as part of their visit programme.Read more

25-27 Mar Introduction to Permaculture, Deal, Kent

Course provided by Rippledown environmental education centre on how to use permaculture principles and practice. Read more

29-30 Mar Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) Rural Dimension Conference, Nottingham Trent University

This year’s conference will focus particularly on providing practitioners with opportunities to develop practical ideas for schools and academies on all aspects of enterprise through the rural dimension.Read more

9-10 April Bushcraft, Deal, Kent

A weekend at Rippledown environmental education centre learning key bushcrafts including fire building, mammal tracking and shelter making. Read more

Resource Highlights

Bee Scene

Over 2000 schools went on a Bee Scene expedition in 2010. Now’s the time to register for this year’s survey which will take place between April and August 2011 and aims to discover if your local green space is good for bees. 
Read more

Biodiversity cartoons

The results of an international competition for the best biodiversity cartoon have now been published and the entries would make a good starting point for doing something similar in school.Read more

International Year of Forests 2011

The United Nations has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness of sustainable management and conservation of all types of forests. The dedicated website includes information on events throughout the International Year as well as interactive web tools and resources to promote dialogue on forests. Read more

OPAL Hedges survey

The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is an exciting initiative open to everyone with an interest in nature. Their latest biodiversity survey looks at hedges, and those taking part will contribute to valuable research and learn more about the importance of hedges and how to improve them. Read more

The Farm Behind the Food

How free is free range? Can we be sure about assured food? And can farming coexist with conservation? Good labels can tell us a great deal about our food and how it is produced, but sometimes they need decoding. The Farm Behind the Food, a new, free, on-line resource produced by FACE, helps KS2 children explore the world of labelling with a wide range of imaginative activities. By looking behind the logos they will gain a clear understanding of food standards and what farms must do to achieve them. Read more

Updates from Partners

Farmers join the twitterati courtesy of FACE

FACE have recently concluded a successful pilot project that used Twitter to encourage dialogue between farmers and schools. It demonstrated the great educational potential for using social networking technologies as an exciting way to engage young people in schools with food, farming and the countryside. 
Read more

NAFSO resources for special needs

Learning Outdoors – Everyone’s included ! is a recent publication from NAFSO (National Association of Field Studies Officers). In 2010 the all-party Children, Schools and Families Select Committee stated that children with special educational needs ‘have particularly poor access to learning opportunities outside the classroom’. In response NAFSO has compiled some inspiring examples of best practice in promoting the inclusion of all young people in real learning opportunities outdoors.Download your free copy here

RHS report on gardening for special needs

Children with Special Educational Needs blossom when gardening becomes part of their school timetable, says a new RHS report. The findings from the year-long project showed that the pupils involved participated more in activities and embraced a new interest in learning. Those who had preferred to work independently developed improved team working skills. They also gained confidence and were happier to persevere with challenging tasks. Read more

FACE seeks secondary teachers for school/workplace project

In partnership with the NFU, FACE are planning to explore a scheme to partner secondary schools with farmers who would be happy to help the school with its workplace learning. For example, by going into school to give a talk or presentation about farming or by providing work experience opportunities for students. Currently, they are looking for SECONDARY TEACHERS who would be interested in this scheme. For more details contact janet@face-online.org.uk.

Competitions  

Farmhouse Breakfast Gizmo Competition

A fantastic online competition to find the Best Breakfast Gizmo! What would be the ideal breakfast gizmo to make the morning routine easier? Ideas can be entered as a description, photo, drawing or video. The best gizmo idea will win £250 worth of music download vouchers. The competition is open until 26th January 2011. Read more

PlantforLife Sensory Gardens Challenge

Sensory gardens benefit children in myriad ways, such as helping them to develop creative thinking and communication skills. In spring 2011, PlantforLife is challenging KS2 children to get creative and design their own sensory garden for their school. They are looking for designs that are original, creative and educational and all entries must be received by 4th February 2011. Five winning schools will have their designs planted with the help of celebrity gardener Chris Collins. They will also win bespoke sensory starter packs and National Gardening Gift Vouchers. So, to be in with a chance of winning, emailsensorychallenge@redconsultancy.com to find out more and register your school.

RHS Scarecrow Competition

The RHS are inviting pre-schools and primary schools in the south-east of England to create their very own Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures Scarecrow. Entries will be pre-selected from photographs in May 2011 for display at the Hampton Court Flower Show in July when show visitors will vote for their favourite. There will also be the chance for the school class involved to bring their scarecrow and visit the show with free entry on Monday 4 July, prior to the official opening. 
Read more
Download entry form here

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