As part of the enrichment programme at King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, Year 8 students have the opportunity to spend six weeks studying Gardening Skills in the school’s very own ‘King’s Garden.’ The Gardening Skills scheme, delivered by Senior Science Technician Phil Walker, is designed to be an engaging, rewarding experience which helps to develop students’ life skills and reassure those who may struggle academically but thrive in a hands-on environment.
The King’s Garden was launched seven years ago, when the school had the idea of utilising a patch of unused land within its boundaries to grow fruit, vegetables, and flowers. What started out as an empty patch of land is now a flourishing garden complete with sheds, greenhouses, and newly built flowerbeds. Much of the money required to maintain the garden was raised through the academy’s summer and Christmas fairs, meaning the garden was self-sufficient for a long time, without the need to spend school funds. Phil explains that the garden benefits the school as a whole, saying: “We wanted to do something that would produce tangible results in the form of produce Green-fingered students gain valuable life skills in the ‘King’s Garden’ that we can either use in the school canteen or that students can take home to enjoy eating as part of their meals. The flowers we grow are used to make presents for teachers which are delivered by the students along with encouraging notes to brighten up everyone’s day.”
Phil explains that Gardening Skills also has fantastic benefits for the students who participate, as gardening is known to promote good mental health and general wellbeing. Taking part in this enrichment also equips students with the skills they need to help in their own gardens and grow their own produce, which is vastly better for their health than shop-bought food. In addition, it is a chance for the students to take part in a fun outdoors activity whilst enjoying the fresh air and contributing to taking care of the environment. Phil stresses the importance of the latter, saying: “Being able to look after the environment not only keeps your own property tidy but may well reverse the tragic decline of our insect population, especially bees, and raises awareness of our part, and our great responsibility, in looking after the planet by doing what we do with our own small patch of land as part of the wider picture.”
In terms of activities, students are taught to dig, weed, plant seeds, harvest produce, keep things tidy, look after equipment, catch, monitor, and release species safely, create compost, water plants, and look after the birds which visit the garden, amongst others. Students also spend time in the classroom learning about a variety of garden-related topics such as careers in gardening, our part in the global ecosystem, and the reasons for monitoring different species.
The Gardening Skills enrichment is extremely popular with King’s Warrington students, who often express their surprise at how much they enjoy it. The enrichment allows them to develop a range of life skills and learn new facts about the natural world, while working in an environment they often describe as “therapeutic.”
King’s Warrington is proud to be able to offer this enrichment and looks forward to allowing its students to enjoy the school garden for many years to come.