Oxfordshire gardening club case studies

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Great Rollright C of E Primary School
St. Nicholas Primary School, Old Marston
Enstone Primary School
Badgemore Primary School
Great Milton C of E Primary School
The Blake C of E Primary School
St. Kenelms Primary School
St. John's Community Primary School

Great Rollright CE Primary School, Oxfordshire

Great Rollright CE Primary School set up their gardening club in March 2007 with the help of the Edina Trust grant. So far it has been a great success.

"Many thanks for all your support. As a small village school we have very limited resources; your grant has really made a difference here."
(Headteacher, Great Rollright Primary School)

St. Nicholas Primary School, Old Marston, Oxfordshire

In 2006 St. Nicholas's Primary School in Old Marston received a Ł300 grant from the Edina Trust. They used the grant to buy tools and supplies for their gardening club and to help towards the building of a plastic tunnel for growing plants and vegetables.

Enstone Primary School, Oxfordshire

Enstone Primary School redeveloped their school garden with the help of the Edina Trust grant. The school "Eco Warriors" and Gardening Club designed the garden, and conducted surveys to discover which crops they should grow. They built four raised beds, in which they grow a wide variety of vegetables for use in school dinners. The new garden is also used as a teaching resource for the whole school.

Badgemore Primary School, Oxfordshire

Badgemore Primary School used their grant to establish a school gardening club, and have succesfully grown courgettes, leeks and lettuces, as well as a variety of bedding plants. The pupils have helped maintain the garden; the pupils pictured are clearing out the beds ready for next spring. The school are also hoping to attract birds to a nest box in the coming spring.

Great Milton C of E Primary School, Oxfordshire

Potato Project:
"We had the best time growing the potatoes…This was a very successful way of growing plants, as they were so visible, and having such regular care encouraged children to think about the basic needs of living things….Thank you, Edina Trust, for making these experiences possible for our children, their lives in school have been that much richer because of them."
(Science Coordinator, Great Milton Primary School)

The Blake C of E Primary School, Oxfordshire

With the help of the Edina Trust grant the Blake CE Primary School built a greenhouse for the gardening club.
"Hugely successful, we have managed to grow our own seedlings in the greenhouse and replant them in the gardens. Next year we are going to branch out and do much more now we have got the hang of it! Thank you so very much it has been very worthwhile for the children and the school. The children have really responded to the extra facility, especially during the winter, and have been looking up on the internet about which plants etc. to grow."
(Headteacher, the Blake CE Primary School)

St. Kenelms Primary School, Oxfordshire

In April 2008 St Kenelms set up a successful gardening club.
"Thank you very much for the Ł300 you granted us for our gardening club. Two raised beds were constructed by a parent/professional gardener volunteer. We purchased two water butts which our volunteer fitted. The water butts mean that the children do not have to carry watering cans through the classrooms, also it means that during the holidays it is easier for someone to water the vegetables for us….The raised beds mean that even the youngest children, and we have children from the foundation stage in the club, can plant home grown seedlings easily and see them grow to full size. The shape of the beds means that several children can work at the same time……At the end of the summer term all of the children tasted the chard and lettuce - a first for some of them! Young children are happier to try vegetables that they have grown…..Thank you for your grant."
(Science Coordinator, St Kenelms Primary School)

St. John's Community Primary School, Oxfordshire

In 2006 St John's CP School received a grant for Ł300 towards their gardening club. This grant was used to extend their vegetable patch and buy equipment such as seeds, bulbs and bird feeders to attract more wildlife to the area.
"We are becoming more sustainable. We have a herb garden and a vegetable patch. We grow vegetables for the school kitchen, and the project links Science, PSHE, and Language. We have also been working towards our Eco School silver award. The gardening club is the eco club as well…..I think this (grant scheme) was absolutely brilliant it has really helped us to get started, Thank you."
(Science Coordinator, St John's, Comm. Primary School)