RHS Campaign for School Gardening celebrates first birthday
30 September 2008
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening celebrated its first birthday on 30 September by holding a tea party, complete with vegetable birthday cake, at St Leonard’s Primary School in Streatham, the first school in the country to sign up to the Campaign 12 months ago.
Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins, was guest of honour at the party, and helped the children plant bulbs in the school garden, which now grows an array of vegetables and also boasts a shade garden and a shed with a sedum roof.
The Campaign has been an enormous success, with more than 5,500 schools registering since its launch this time last year. All the schools (the equivalent of over a million children) have received a free starter kit, lesson plans and gardening advice. The Campaign teaches pupils about plants and gardening, while providing resources to help teachers make the most of their school garden, teach the National Curriculum outdoors and inspire their pupils to live greener lifestyles.
St Leonard’s Deputy Head, Anthony Pizzoferro, is convinced of the positive effect gardening and learning outdoors has on young minds. He said, “Learning outdoors raises children’s awareness and opens their eyes to plants and nature. When I open a broad bean pod and they see the beans are inside they are literally amazed. Many of our children are now telling me that they are growing and planting veg out of school and at home with their parents. They are so fascinated by watching seeds grow and change into a plant or vegetable.”