The beauty of food growing in schools is that it is an activity all pupils can engage in and benefit from. One school for pupils with a range of special educational needs is proving just that.
Many pupils at Charlton Park Academy had limited access to outside space and little understanding of where food comes from. Bryher Pennells, Culture Curriculum Lead, decided to introduce food growing to the school.
They used raised beds and trugs enabling access for all pupils including those in wheelchairs. Plants are chosen for different reasons; fruit trees and hanging baskets entice pupils to look up, and herbs are great for the sensory gardens encouraging touch, taste and smell.
Pupils benefit in lots of different ways too, some trying food they wouldn’t normally eat and others expanding their learning through photography and cooking. The post-16 student enterprise which uses produce from the garden to make food to sell and share is helping some pupils develop transferable skills for life.
Recipe for Success
- Health and safety is obviously really important, Bryher uses organic compost which is refreshed every year and pupils use their hands to plant so no heavy tools are required
- Success can be key – try using some plug plants as well as growing from seed, so progress is more easily tracked
- Choose a range of crops, different textures, colours and smells – use the growing cards from Garden Organic to help work out what to plant and when
