Simple Life Homes supported the planting of wildflowers, vegetables and herb gardens in 3 local schools

Project Overview

This report is about the creation of wildflower, vegetable and herb gardens in schools thanks to the support of the local business Simple Life Homes.

Every planting day is tailored and bespoke to the needs of each school. We take into account the age of the children and the existing availability of green space. A pre-planting consultation with the school helps us to understand the best areas for planting that will help local wildlife and be a useful learning resource for children.

This project encourages outdoor learning and a sense of pride in students who help with the planting. Children love learning about how to spot species, how seeds grow and where our food comes from. Learning to look after creatures of all sizes is a fantastic way for pupils to practice compassion. We hope this initiative inspires the next generation of garderners, conservationists and eco-warriors.

Project Statistics

3

Number of schools with new green spaces

122

Number of children engaged

Testimonials

"Kaitlyn came down to work with different groups of our SEN children between the ages of 11-15. It was a hot day, but Kaitlyn kept them engaged, interested and they thoroughly enjoyed learning and planting in our Forest School area. The session was engaging, calm and pitched at the right level for our pupils. I would highly recommend it and we look forward to any other opportunity we may get in the future to work with them again. - Southall School, Teacher Not only did the children get a lot from the day and retain their learning, but the sense of community and togetherness that has come from bringing volunteers together is priceless and ongoing! I have had many compliments about the new border on the flower bed too. I feel like the ‘hard work’ put in by the children has been very beneficial and I have seen a difference in the children already this term. A heartfelt thank you for involving me and the kids in all the projects. An absolute pleasure! - Teacher, Dawley Primary Kaitlyn planned the session around what our children already knew, needed to learn and how we could work within our school grounds. We had also discussed the children involved in the session and how they best learned. The session was really active and fast-paced and the children and class teacher thoroughly enjoyed it! Kaitlyn managed to give the children lots of information about why we were planting particular plants and what this might mean for the insects around our school site in the coming months. I feel the children really benefitted from hand-on experience and we are ready to look after our seeds and plants and enjoy seeing what happens on our bug hunts in the summer months! - Teacher, Shortwood Primary"

Planting for the Next Generation

Southall Primary School planting was delivered on 28th June and engaged 35 school children. Southall School provides an appropriately paced and differentiated currciulum for SEN pupils with complex needs, where outdoor learning is recognised as an excellent way to engage children. Green spaces provide a peaceful and calm environment for children to learn, relax and play. Activities like digging and planting are brilliantly stimulating and satistying for children who can see the results of their hard work. Planting took place in the school's outdoor forest and learning area next to the pond and existing mini meadow. The meadow and pond area was enhanced with a cornfield wildflowers seed mix. Herbs such as mint, sage, chives and borage were provided for the school to plant up in their existing herb/vegetable plot and use as a further learning resource. The children were also delighted to give strawberry seeds a new home and learn about how delicious fruits start as tiny seeds and grow into tasty treats. Learnig to care for fruit from seeds to harvest teaches children valuable lessons about where healthy foods come from.

Meet Our Education Officer

Kaitlyn Elverson

Kaitlyn is an Engagement Officer at Buglife where she is responsible for: corporate, community and school engagement across the UK, including developing, planning and delivering workshops, volunteer sessions and school outreach activities. She also assists in building relations with partner organisations to help deliver habitat creation, restoration and people engagement.