Help needed please!

[MrsC]

Starting an outdoor classroom (eco school award) and we are aiming for green flag (top level award). Have made a start with the planning. Any ideas out there from you grapes? Much appreciated, thanks in advance!

[MrsC]

any ideas any1? have plenty myself but thought there might be a few out there who could give their own

[NOG]

Sorry how is having an outside class room eco. Unless you have forgot to mention that you are going to teardown the school and turn the plot back to a coppiced woodland.

[rustylady]

Starting an outdoor classroom (eco school award) and we are aiming for green flag (top level award). Have made a start with the planning. Any ideas out there from you grapes? Much appreciated, thanks in advance!

What have you got planned so far? There have been a few threads on the Vine re outdoor/gardening activities in schools, especially mini-lottments etc, but unless we know what you have in mine it's a bit hard to suggest ideas for your current project.

[Alice]

Hello MrsC2B, maybe I'm being a bit dense but I didn't work out the question. Are you looking for ideas for an outdoor classroom and if so within what space, budget, purpose - a school gardening project , things for kids to grow - or what ? Please come back with a more clearly defined question and I'm sure you'll get lots of ideas from the grapes.

[witch-1]

and just in case...

... get a composter for the kitchen waste!

... a wormery too maybe?

Jan
x

[SueA]

Hi Mrsc2B, don't really know what's involved in an outdoor classroom myself but I think a few schools around here are developing little woodland areas with seating made from logs etc. & veg.patches for the kids to grow something they can actually cook & eat in school. I would think a pond/wildlife area would be useful also but that would possibly cause problems with child safety etc. depending on their ages.Putting up bird/bug boxes would be nice also so they could learn about nature.You would have to check up on all the health & saftey issues first though.

[TPeers]

Without knowing the space you have or the type of lessons/age groups involved....

Have you loked at Brownie and Cub badges for ideas on what is achievable in the 7-10 age range with minimal adult assistance.

I seem to remember you teach at the primary/junior level!

As said above, given a better outline, we can all help more. Never having heard of a 'green flag, eco, outdoor classroom' I haven't a clue what it is!

Make them put on coats and wellies and play in the rain?

Hopscotch over puddles? Mud pies?

[zebedee]

We have a Middle School that backs onto our garden, and they have started their own little allotment plot. Is that the sort of thing you are looking for?

[MrsC]

hi, hope this helps. currently have a gardening club running, we have grown a few veg etc this year. age range from reception to year 6 (4 to 11). looking towards a world theme (as award covers schools worldwide). thought that would be nice to section into a few countries to help the children understand plants/veg etc not native to this country but already growing here etc and the growing process etc etc. already have a composting site but not working very well. list is endless but if any1 can help with:

composting - the best way to do this (how long it takes etc)
attracting wildlife etc
effective watering techniques
pest control (companion planting etc to deter pests) we can't use chemicals etc

already started with the children re - harvesting seeds etc from sunflowers and the like to use again next year. going to to give them cuttings from plants to overwinter also.

the list is endless really. funds will need to be raised so was thinking of plant sales etc, donations from local garden places etc, any other ideas? maybe able to access a small amount.

hope this helps, thanks in advance.

[MrsC]

btw - eco school award covers many areas from indoors to recyling points for paper, printer cartridges to healthy eating (snacks and lunchtime etc). the garden aspect is one part but one I feel could make a huge impact on the children, from learning that potatoes don't come off a supermarket shelf and yes that's what crisps are made of etc! to understanding and appreciating wildlife and learning about their habitats etc to creating a sensory/herb garden and using this to link to maybe medicinal qualities of herbs for one example, the list is endless. sorry if i was vague when starting this thread! have lots of ideas myself and so have the kids but thought you may also have lots of great tips etc also!

[Kayt]

I used to be a school governor at a junior school and we started a veg plot. Although I'm not involved now I still get feedback from people and this has now been extended with a quiet sensory garden where kids can sit to chat at break times, compost bin which is filled by the leftovers from their fruit in lunchboxes, some grass cuttings when the playing field is cut (they have a great caretaker who goes out and picks a load up), the school cooks use it too. Also a wildlife area, piles of logs, raised pond, bird tables. Advice for that came from the Kent Wildlife trust, you may have something similar in your area. the veg that is grown is harvested by the kids and cooked in school for everyone to try. Local garden centres have been very supportive with sponsorship, B&Q did have an 'education department' at the time which gave us £100 to set up the initial stages. Also Asda are pretty good and we are very blessed to have good parental support. The latest purchase apparently has been a 'remembrance tree' in the quiet area. This came about following the death of child at the school and has been quite therapeutic to the kids. Going back to funding, some of the banks have a particular theme, NatWest is sport, but I'm sure one of them support environmental projects.

[MrsC]

thaks kayt! will look into that!

[TPeers]

Doesn't Alan Titchmarsh lend his name to some sort of grant thing for school gardens?

Also Rocket Gardens have some sort of school thing http://www.rocketgardens.co.uk/dig-for-their-future.asp Don't know if that would be of use.

Ideas - If you want to 'do' different countries remember nearly all the crops are likely to mature during the summer holidays, which does give a few problems in terms of class work!

I'd start with the more reliable crops, brassicas, spuds, tomatoes.

Spuds and Tomatoes are American plants, as are many types of squash and corn of course. There are also several types of American legume. So since this covers some of the most recognisable vegetables that may be a good place to start.

Good luck

[MrsC]

Doesn't Alan Titchmarsh lend his name to some sort of grant thing for school gardens?

Also Rocket Gardens have some sort of school thing http://www.rocketgardens.co.uk/dig-for-their-future.asp Don't know if that would be of use.

Ideas - If you want to 'do' different countries remember nearly all the crops are likely to mature during the summer holidays, which does give a few problems in terms of class work!

I'd start with the more reliable crops, brassicas, spuds, tomatoes.

Spuds and Tomatoes are American plants, as are many types of squash and corn of course. There are also several types of American legume. So since this covers some of the most recognisable vegetables that may be a good place to start.

Good luck

thanks Tpeers, had thought about the holiday bit, gotta to give that a lot of thought i know, thanks for the advice!