Pupils at St John of Beverley RC Primary School are celebrating double gold medals in this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom Awards and also in Beverley in Bloom. The green-fingered pupils also won the coveted Young People’s Award for being the best school in the county competition.
Every member of the school community has been involved in the school’s growing success. This year parents, pupils and staff created a World War II ‘Dig for Victory’ themed garden complete with full size Anderson Shelter.
Every one of the school’s 160 pupils planted a seed in class that they watched grow into a plant that found its way into a raised bed in the veggie garden or into the newly purchased poly-tunnel. Year 1 pupils have been fascinated to see their tomato and cucumber seeds grow into huge plants covered in tasty fruits. The school kitchen regularly serves meals that include produce grown by the children.
Headteacher Theresa Rogerson said, “This makes the link between the soil and the plate. Children know how food is produced and they respect it more when they have grown it themselves.”
Year 6 children have watched weird and wonderful pumpkins grow from small seeds into enormous plants planted in used tractor tyres. Gardening coordinator Jonathan Roe paid tribute to the whole school community. “This has been a team effort. We have a dedicated band of parents who help in the garden during the week. One of them took one of last year’s pumpkins and prepared seed from it. The children have been amazed to see how easy it can be to grow delicious produce.”
The school is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Campaign for School Gardening and has also achieved Level 4 in its Benchmarking Scheme. This has allowed the school to tap into the expert advise of local RHS expert John Hickling and put on joint training events for other local schools.
Councillor Penny Peacock, portfolio holder for childrem, young people and schools, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and it is always important that children realise that learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. Learning to grow your own food is a rewarding and valuable lesson that can last a lifetime.”
The school’s Gardening Club are now making plans for next year’s garden and wondering what they can do to improve on this year’s success.
