Growing passion leads to new awards

Jul 6 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A GARDENING boom in school grounds has seen pupils digging for victory in their own region-wide competition.

Yesterday, gold medals were awarded to 19 schools in the North East for their growing enterprises in the first Growing Together competition organised by Northumbria in Bloom to reward excellence in school horticulture. A total of 45 schools took part.

The competition has sprung from the rapid spread in recent years of a wide variety of school grounds gardens. The annual Northumbria in Bloom contest featured a category for schools, but Eileen Burn, chairman of Northumbria in Bloom, said: “Our judges of the main competition were finding that when they visited schools as part of their judging tours the children would keep them there for ages, wanting to show them all they were doing.”

So it was decided to set up a specific competition for schools and to extend it to cover the North East.

“As the judges always enjoyed these visits we decided to extend the length of time they could inspect each school, giving greater encouragement to young gardeners and their teachers,” added Mrs Burn.

“Children are gaining practical gardening knowledge and are learning the importance of the environment and growing food, and learning to cook their produce.”

Many schools link their gardens to classroom subjects such as maths, science, art and English.

“Some schools have lots of space and some don’t but what is important is how they use that space,” said Mrs Burn. “We are delighted to see how much school gardening contributes to the development of young pupils.

“We have met some inspirational teachers and volunteers and many wonderfully enthusiastic children. It’s heartening to see how children are being encouraged from an early age to think about living in a sustainable way.

“These children are the next generation of gardeners, and it is important to give them as much practical experience and encouragement as possible.”

The judges awarded marks for the maintenance and quality of the flowers, trees, fruit and vegetables the children grow, their understanding of plants and the environment and the use of horticulture in the general school curriculum.

Two outstanding schools were awarded trophies, with the Rod Leyburn Memorial Trophy for the best educational benefit going to Stocksfield Avenue Primary School in Fenham, Newcastle.

The school’s garden is still developing after its old building was replaced, opening in September 2008. But the land for the garden did not become available until last year.

The school, which has been awarded an eco-schools green flag, now has an allotment in its grounds which pupils tend, an orchard and a pond area.

Headteacher Gill Pritchard said: “The children plant and grow their vegetables and designed a herb bed and it allows them to use a lot of their indoor desk-bound learning.”

The judges said: “Stocksfield Avenue Primary School epitomizes the educational spirit of the Growing Together initiative. The gardens are integral to every part of the school curriculum and the children know what they are doing and why”.

The Land of the Prince Bishops trophy went to Bankfields Primary School, Eston in Middlesbrough.