Horticulture

INTENT

To enrich pupil’s knowledge and experiences of practical horticulture and countryside skills through a range of practical activities. These include growing and planting, caring for animals, conservation and cultural themes.

	PRACTICAL AIMS The school’s practical aims are:	EDUCATIONAL AIMS Children learn:
GARDENING	To create a successful, sustainable garden using organic methods	How to grow things in a safe and sustainable way, and how to run their own successful gardens
		To enjoy gardening and have positive attitudes to agriculture
	To provide a model of a mixed kitchen garden for the community	To talk to families and community members about gardening practices
NUTRITION	To produce food for the school	How to grow food for themselves
	To improve children’s diet with garden produce	How to improve diet and prepare healthy meals with garden produce
	To improve children’s eating habits	To appreciate healthy foods and to change their own eating habits
MARKETING	To sell garden produce to get income for the school	Business skills and entrepreneurship
ENVIRONMENT	To improve the school environment (trees/grass/paths/ flowers, etc.)	Respect for and interest in their school environment
ENVIRONMENT	To collect rainwater, grey water; to encourage helpful insects; to prevent erosion, etc.	Environmental awareness and understanding, respect for nature, natural resource management
SCHOOL SUBJECTS	To reinforce some areas of the school curriculum (e.g. science, environmental science, home economics)	Particular subjects through active, hands-on experience
LIFE SKILLS	To help children survive and prosper in the world	How to plan, take decisions, collaborate, take responsibility, explain and persuade, etc.
SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY	To bring together school, children, families and community in a common endeavour	To relate to adults in various ways and to be aware of gardening practices in the community

WHAT WE DO IN KEY STAGE 3

We are following the principles of both Forest Schools and the John Muir Award whilst in Key Stage 3. On the whole the pupils are outside working in the kitchen garden area, the pond and the Forest School areas. It is a very fun and practical based curriculum with the class doing the following activities

Outdoor art
Making pots and planters
Raft building
Den building
Musical instruments out of natural resources
Tower making

WHAT WE DO IN KEY STAGE 4

The Key stage 4 curriculum is broken down into units to allow access to all aspects of the course. It is very practically based but does include some in class work.

In Key Stage 4 we follow a B-Tech in Horticulture which contains the following units;