PTFA fully funds £21,000 allotment

Contractors have started work today to build our new allotment.  The works are anticipated to take up to two weeks. Contributions from parents and children by attending all of our fundraising events and the hard work of volunteers and our PTFA committee has fully funded this project.

 

The scope of works involves building 6 vegetable growing beds and separate polytunnel, positioned on gravel surface to enable year round use and access.  A storage shed and outdoor teaching shelter with sedum roof will be located at the edge of the existing playground, near the main school building.  At the far end of the allotment, a small fruit orchard will be created where a few chickens will also roam.  The allotment will be surrounded by a picket fence and soft boundary hedgerow.

 

We feel it is important that we educate our children around the benefits of eating a healthy balanced diet along with developing their knowledge around sustainability.

 

Our aim is that pupils develop an understanding of the journey of food from planting to cooking and then eating. In the summer term we will be offering the pupils lessons in the allotments which will run alongside cooking sessions with the aim to eventually use produce from our own garden. Our four school chickens Rosa, Victoria, Elizabeth and Florence who are currently being reared in our Reception classes are also excited to move into their new home in the allotments after Easter.  

 

We will shortly recruit a teaching assistant gardener to work with pupils to plant, grow, maintain and harvest our crops.  We are planning that every class from Year 1 to Year 6 will have a half-day session each half-term working on the allotment and cooking.  The teaching assistant gardener will teach half the class; while each class teacher works with the other half, cooking in the School House kitchen.

 

After-school gardening and cookery clubs will continue and be available to further enrich children's experience. 

 

A huge thank you to the PTFA for funding this project. The support from the PTFA means that we can continue to offer our children these exciting opportunities. The PTFA have many upcoming events planned such as the Comedy Night, Schools Out night at Charlotte’s Place, Tiddler's Disco and the Summer Garden Party and know they welcome your continued support.

 

Find out more

• Allotment plan and visuals