South East

Spring Term

Using the school grounds with Special Educational Needs pupils - 14 January 2009
University of Oxford Botanic Garden
This course will suit those working in special educational needs schools plus trainee teachers and learning support assistants. This course is designed to help identify strategies which enable children in multi-ability groups with diverse needs to use the medium of horticulture as a meaningful activity in the school curriculum. During the day participants will explore the benefits of horticulture, design considerations, and discuss tips and techniques; with an opportunity to get ‘hands-on’ in a practical session. It is aimed at those who are new to using horticulture in this environment or have limited experience to develop this subject successfully. The day will be predominantly aimed at primary school children with SEN, however, if your children or young people have SLD, you may find the day of interest.

 

Growing and diversifying
13 February 2009
Sparsholt College
 Individual teachers will have an opportunity to share experiences of integrating gardening into a cross-curricular framework of outdoor lesson. There will be discussion of gardening processes and the wider purposes of maintaining an organic garden. Cross curricular objectives for school gardening will be considered and lessons planned. Learning Support Assistants and governors only when accompanying a teacher.

 

Growing fruit and vegetables in schools
25 February 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
This day will enable teachers with little experience of fruit or vegetable growing, to work with their children in setting up a successful food-growing area.
By the end of this course you will:

  1. Understand the personal and educational benefits to be gained from growing fruit and vegetables in school
  2. Be familiar with the basics of growing a range of (a) vegetables and (b) fruit suitable for school gardens.
  3. Have the confidence to work with their children to plan, develop and maintain a food-growing area appropriate to their school.
  4. See the potential for delivering a wide range of curriculum topics through activities related to the food-growing area.
 

Growing Understandings – Effective use of your school garden, EY & KS1
10 March 2009
The Chelsea Physic Garden
This training day aims to inspire and provide practical activities that will transform your school Garden in to a Learning Garden, to be used as a cross-curricular resource. There will be the opportunity to discuss ideas and top tips on how to sustain the Garden with the pupils as active participants. The day will include planting advice. This will be held at Chelsea Physic Garden, in conjunction with The Royal Horticultural Society.

 

Learning about Darwin in a garden
12 March 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
Teachers will explore the link between Darwin's original scientific methodology and discoveries and teaching that engages young people. An important factor will be the resources used to enable teachers and pupils to think like Darwin. Much of Darwin's work was done in his garden and in the countryside around Down House in Kent. This CPD will use the resources available at Wisley to initiate experiments that are easy to replicate in the school grounds. Key scientific ideas will be explored as a crucial part of planning for learning.  For year 6 and KS3.

 

Running a school gardening club
19 March 2009 - COURSE NOW FULL
RHS Garden Wisley
This day will provide you with some idea of how to set up and run a gardening club, whether you already have a school garden or not. The morning session will cover how to establish a garden area, which are the most suitable crops to plant, how to be organic, health and safety etc.  The afternoon session will cover ideas and activities related to gardening including suggestions of what to do in the winter months or when it rains.
No prior knowledge is required. Just come with questions and enthusiasm and we will do our best to give you answers.

 

Science from the garden
21 April 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
The school environment offers plentiful opportunities to explore the science curriculum at various levels. Activities can range from rocks and soils, auditing the school grounds, identifying trees to the structure of plants and seed dispersal.

 

Water efficient gardening projects for schools
28 April 2009
Three Valleys Water
This day is a blend of demonstrations and hands on activities to enable you to plan and establish a small vegetable or flower allotment, a dry garden and plant up containers following sustainable principles. All the sessions are curriculum related with advice on suitable plants, tools, soil preparation and risk assessment. You will take a range of cuttings.

 

Science Learning Centre, London

Science Learning Centre London is offering a new course focusing on urban ecology and growing plants for science lessons. The course takes place in Central London and makes use of the new roof laboratory that has recently been developed at the Centre. For some of the courses, Impact Awards of £200 are available to cover the course fee and other expenses. For further information and details of how to apply, follow the links below. Alternatively, call 020 7612 6325.

 Growing plants for science lessons (technicians) - 16th Sept

 

Summer Term

Growing Understandings – Effective use of your school garden, KS2 & KS3
5 May 2009
Chelsea Physic Garden
This training day aims to inspire and provide practical activities that will transform your school Garden in to a Learning Garden, to be used as a cross-curricular resource. There will be the opportunity to discuss ideas and top tips on how to sustain the Garden with the pupils as active participants. The day will include planting advice. This will be held at Chelsea Physic Garden, in conjunction with The Royal Horticultural Society.

 

Marvellous minibeasts or incredible invertebrates
13 May 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
This is a day devoted to creepy-crawlies! Explore ways of incorporating minibeasts into the science curriculum. During the day a number of different habitats around the garden will be investigated and minibeasts collected for future study. Find out how to create minibeast habitats in your own school grounds.

 

Using dataloggers in the school grounds
13 May 2009
 RHS Garden Wisley
Ever wanted to use dataloggers in your teaching, but found you never had the time to get to grips with them? Come to this beautiful setting and learn how to use dataloggers in your teaching. You will get plenty of opportunity to practice recording data in the outdoors. Dataloggers can be used in all key stages.

 

Food growing in schools
14 May 2009
Canterbury Environmental Education Centre
To enable teachers with little experience of fruit or vegetable growing to work with their children in setting up a successful food-growing area. By the end of the day, teachers will understand the personal and educational benefits to be gained from growing fruit and vegetables in school. Be familiar with the basics of growing a range of (a) vegetables and (b) fruit suitable for school gardens. Have the confidence to work with their children to plan, develop and maintain a food-growing area appropriate to their school. See the potential for delivering a wide range of curriculum topics through activities related to the food-growing area.

 

Maths in the garden
15 May 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
The school grounds may be used for children of all ages to see how maths is a part of everyday life from adding and subtracting, estimating how many (plants), graph making, using a quadrant, using co-ordinates, money, budgeting etc. The day will include a number of practical activities inside and out as well as a discussion of the possibilities to teach and practice maths available in the school garden.

 

Marvellous minibeasts or incredible invertebrates
4 June 2009
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
This is a day devoted to creepy-crawlies! Explore ways of incorporating minibeasts into the science curriculum. During the day a number of different habitats around the garden will be investigated and minibeasts collected for future study. Find out how to create minibeast habitats in your own school grounds.

 

Using a school garden to teach
9 June 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
It can often be difficult to think of activities using the school garden during the winter or when the weather is wet. Be one step ahead and develop a curriculum calendar for the seasons including a variety of activities and projects for every month of the year with work for individuals and groups.

 

Sharing best practice & involving the wider community
3 July 2009
Sparsholt College
A course for teachers with an established school garden to share their experiences of different ways of integrating gardening into a cross-curricular framework of outdoor lesson. Curriculum objectives, mid term and long term planning and achieving excellence, by including gardening and use of a school garden, will form the basis of discussion of best practice and maintaining momentum. Learning Support Assistants and governors only when accompanying a teacher.

 

Setting up a sensory garden
9 July 2009
RHS Garden Wisley
What is a sensory garden and how can we make a start in setting one up? We will take a look at different types of sensory garden, a discussion on design/planning through colour, texture and shape and planting plus a practical session on propagation and maintenance.