School farms and gardens
Overview
There is a long tradition of using the outdoors as a classroom in schools and other educational settings. Many school farms were set up during the Dig for Victory campaign during the Second World War, while plots growing fruit and vegetables on a variety of scales are a familiar feature at a number of schools.
However, school farms and gardens became disused over the post war years. This was due to a number of factors including less recognition of the benefits of the outdoor classroom, health and safety concerns and a lack of horticultural skills among teachers.
Since the turn of the millennium, this decline has reversed. There has been an increasing emphasis on the need to educate children about the natural world, a wider understanding of the benefits of the outdoor classroom as a genuine education tool across many areas of the curriculum, concerns about increasing knowledge of healthy diets and a recognition that some children respond better to different types of learning.
Emerging Trend
It is now estimated that 60 per cent of schools now grow something in their grounds, mainly vegetable patches. The size and scale of such plots vary enormously from a single raised bed through to large gardens which provide produce for school canteens.
School farms have also seen a revival. From a low point in 2006 when numbers dropped to 66, the figure has risen to 82, with more than 40 other schools actively planning to set up farms.
This change has been aided by a number of campaigns and initiatives, which help teachers and school farm practitioners with advice, skills training, equipment and networking opportunities.
These include the School Farms Network, Growing Schools and FCFCG's Growing With Schools pilot project.
There has also been a drive to help children discover and learn about the wider world at educational settings outside school, including farms and community gardens, as an essential part of their personal development. Concerns about obesity, poor diet and a disconnect between children and where their food comes from has helped ignite more interest in this area.
More information & Case Studies
Growing Schools
Growing Schools website
An initiative launched in 2001 by what has now been renamed as the Department for Education, in the wake of a foot and mouth crisis. This had raised concerns about the divide between urban and rural life, the lack of knowledge about food and farming in the population at large, and a disconnection between young people and the wider environment. The Growing Schools website has been designed to support teachers and practitioners in using the outdoor classroom as a resource across the curriculum for pupils of all ages.
Growing Schools has also created a Teachers’ pack called ‘Get Your Hands Dirty’, an indestructible folder that teachers can fill with their own selection of downloadable resources on farming and gardening. It was first published in 2007 and has proved immensely popular.
The Growing Schools website also has a library of case studies available.
Growing With Schools
Growing With Schools Website
GWS Facebook Group
Though awareness and support for hands-on growing activities in schools are increasing and numerous resource and information packs are available, what staff in many schools need is personalised support from knowledgeable individuals.The ‘Growing With Schools’ hub project was set up to do just this for schools in Coventry. It is funded by The JJ Charitable Trust and the Mark Leonard Trust and managed by the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. Coventry Education Business Partnership and Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School and Language College are the other partners.
School Farms Network
School Farms Network website
The School Farms Network (SFN) was set up in 2004, created jointly by the then Department for Education and Skills (now Department for Education) and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. The School Farms Network offers support and assistance to school farms, co-ordinates meetings, produces materials and CPD and facilitates networking. In addition, an e-newsletter is regularly despatched to members to keep them up to date.FCFCG is responsible for co-ordinating the School Farms Network. It offers advice to existing farms and those wishing to start a new school farm (teachers, assistants and parents), including finding a mentor and signposting to specialists.
Think Food and Farming
TFF Website
This is the exciting legacy project intended to build on the success of the Year of Food and Farming (YoFF), which ran from September 2007 to July 2008. Think Food & Farming will continue to promote the activities and links which are helping children to understand more about where our food comes from and to involve them in memorable first hand learning experiences.
RHS campaign for School Gardening
Campaign Website
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening aims to encourage and support schools to develop and actively use a school garden. As part of the campaign we will provide teachers with resources through this website and an extensive programme of CPD days.
One Pot Pledge (Schools)
The One Pot Pledge is a grow your own campaign from leading gardening charity Garden Organic. The aim is to get 30,000 people who have never grown anything before to give growing a go. The campaign website has a PDF to download on school gardening using the link below:
