Growing Happiness
Mrs Barltrop visited the Year R classes during 2022/2023 every week to do some gardening with them. They planted some seeds, raked the leaves and had lots of fun. Mrs Barltrop is a keen gardener and was thrilled to work with the Year R children, teaching them lots about gardening and how plants grow. The children loved spending time outside with her and gained so much from this fabulous experience!!
How it Began!
In September 2018 20 KS1 children began a gardening extravaganza. All KS1 children were invited to show an interest in gardening and then children were chosen to undergo the following projects:
- 20 children, 2 from each Year 1 and 2 class worked together to create a planter to welcome children, parents and visitors to their class using violas which reflected our new school uniform colours purple and yellow called "yellow jump up".
- 10 Year 2 children then learned some additional gardening skills making 5 large planters at the front of our school as another welcome. We planted 2 "Ellswood Gold" conifers, 2 Nandina's and yellow and purple pansies. Mrs Barltrop explained that the violas in our first project reflected a small flower and plant beginning to grow and the pansies were a larger version reflecting our growth as we passed through the school. We reflected on the faces of the pansies which we thought looked happy and so equally reflected our school; a happy place to be, work and learn.
- Our final project was a piece of waste ground at the back of our school where the teachers usually enter from the car park. It was all weedy and stony but it was weeded and dug over and covered in purple violas and yellow pansies. Whilst we were planting here some teachers from the Junior school came across to see what we were doing and told us we had done a magnificent job and that the sight of these lovely flowers really made them feel happy as they arrived at work.
