Lancashire primary school get creative as they establish school growing space
With no grass and lots of tarmac, Nelson St Philip’s Primary School in Lancashire got inventive when establishing a growing space. Inspired by a Food for Life training session and lots of pupil creativity, they set up their own ‘Grow Our Own’ area.
Sustainability was at the front of their mind when creating their space. They repaired, renovated and reused whatever they could get their hands on to create raised beds to grow all sorts of plants.
A broken plant trolley was fixed up and filled with compost, whilst old planters were salvaged and attached to a fence for extra growing space.
For the first time ever the school will be able to harvest and cook school-grown food, including potatoes, beetroot, lettuce, peas, chives and strawberries.
This new and improved garden area also means the school team can link growing to the curriculum as they explore topics like life cycles and where food comes from.
Mrs Swire, a teacher at Nelson St Philip, says:
“The children have thoroughly enjoyed being able to watch their plants grow from seeds to seedlings, then into real, flowering plants. They check and care for the plants daily to help with their learning of ‘Understanding the World’. Seeing their reactions is wonderful.”
The school are enrolled in the Food for Life programme, which was commissioned by Lancashire County Council in 2023 to make good food the norm across Lancashire.