Schools

In partnership with schools, we work to promote healthy living and an understanding of food through growing and investigating fruit and vegetables. Children also get the opportunity to take vegetables to the centre's training kitchen for cooking sessions, and grow flowers for cutting. They can also benefit from having lunch in the centre's cafe alongside other members of the community. Because vegetables are grown communally in the centre's productive gardens, children are afforded the opportunity to work cooperatively with adults of all generations in a supported, community-based environment where safeguarding is paramount. This is great preparation for life, and enables out Horticulture Workers and accompanying Teaching Assistants to focus on redressing any delay in children's social and emotional or speech development. Our activities particularly suit the work of nurture groups.

Secondary school students who are on alternative curricula can get valuable work experience and learn much from the community members gardening here. Please contact us for details.

Pre-schools

Pre-school children explore the natural world, learn to be gentle with delicate plant material, eagerly look for weekly changes to the plants they are growing, and receive an important early years experience of food growing and a reinforcement of confident learning.

Small, fully supervised groups of children work happily and safely alongside adults in the vegetable gardens. Produce is taken to the pre-school for cooking!