The School John Ruskin Primary School is situated in a socially deprived area of South London. The large majority of pupils are from an ethnic minority background and nearly two thirds have English as their second language. The school provides a special language base for additional children with SEN, including speech and language disorders or impairment. Shelling Borlotti beans Food growing: making space SOUTHWARK In the beginning Help to grow Success With extra growing space, John Ruskin have set up a weekly gardening club and increased the number and variety of crops they grow. With funding from the Veolia Group and workshops from the RHS, the London Bat Society and the RSPB, they now teach the curriculum through the garden and have set up a new wildlife garden and pond area. With limited outdoor space and no playing fields, John Ruskin School had to be inventive from the start. They began with small growing initiatives, extending to the reception and nursery playgrounds. All growing is within tubs and raised beds on top of the tarmac playground. With the help of Walworth Garden Farm they now have planters on an impressive rooftop garden too. Although initially worried about losing playground space, Suzy Gregory, Co-Deputy Headteacher, believes that the raised beds and tubs have made the existing playground space more dynamic, interesting and fun for pupils. Old classroom space has been converted into a kitchen, so school dinners can be cooked on-site rather than externally, using school grown produce where possible. John Ruskin Primary School Food Growing Schools: London is a partnership led by Garden Organic that aims to inspire & equip every school in London to grow their own food. * Source: Figures based on evaluation surveys with lead school teachers in Sept 2013 (n=504) and July 2016 (n=241) 79.2% of pupils have improved behaviour or attainment*
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The SchoolJohn Ruskin Primary School is situated in a socially deprived area of South London. The large majority of pupils are from an ethnic minority background and nearly two thirds have English as their second language.
The school provides a special language base for additional children with SEN, including speech and language disorders or impairment.
Shelling Borlotti beans
Food growing: making space
SOUTHWARK
In the beginning Help to grow Success
With extra growing space, John Ruskin have set up a weekly gardening club and increased the number and variety of crops they grow. With funding from the Veolia Group and workshops from the RHS, the London Bat Society and the RSPB, they now teach the curriculum through the garden and have set up a new wildlife garden and pond area.
With limited outdoor space and no playing fields, John Ruskin School had to be inventive from the start. They began with small growing initiatives, extending to the reception and nursery playgrounds. All growing is within tubs and raised beds on top of the tarmac playground. With the help of Walworth Garden Farm they now have planters on an impressive rooftop garden too.
Although initially worried about losing playground space, Suzy Gregory, Co-Deputy Headteacher, believes that the raised beds and tubs have made the existing playground space more dynamic, interesting and fun for pupils. Old classroom space has been converted into a kitchen, so school dinners can be cooked on-site rather than externally, using school grown produce where possible.
John Ruskin Primary School
Food Growing Schools: London is a partnership led by Garden Organic that aims to inspire & equip every school in London to grow their own food.
* Source: Figures based on evaluation surveys with lead school teachers in Sept 2013 (n=504) and July 2016 (n=241)
79.2% of pupils have improved behaviour or attainment*
Produce for RHS harvest festival display
Most Original Award, RHS Garden Wisley Competition, 2016
A year group planter
• If planning a rooftop garden, get advice first
• Use space creatively, you can plant in pots, containers, trugs and on windowsills
• Use the free FGSL Spring into Growing pack for tips
• Use resources from Garden Organic to help you plant in a 120x120cm space, on a tight budget
• Start small! Get a planter and plant something easy like lettuce or potatoes
FGSL Top Tips
Who’s involved?
What next?
All teachers are now required to plan gardening, cooking and eating projects on a termly basis. They make the most of the support from the Food Growing Schools: London (FGSL) partnership including getting training delivered by the RHS and regular help from a Schools Learning Mentor. As knowledge and confidence has increased, the children have also joined in a number of activities and competitions outside school, like the School Food Matters Young Marketeers ‘Soup and Bread Sale’ at Borough Market.
Although all year groups have planters, they are small, and the school want to provide more space to grow and increase available teaching space. They have been successful in applying for a Trees for Cities grant to create an Edible Playground and are excited about growing vertically on trellis and arches to get as much growing space as possible.
A whole school approach
Garden Organic | www.gardenorganic.org.uk | Registered Charity No. 298104
www.foodgrowingschools.org
“At John Ruskin growing has become central to the school day. It has increased take-up of school dinners, and built awareness of sustainability and where food comes from. The children have developed not only practical food growing skills, but also their ability to work cooperatively as a team, and a deeper respect for the environment and all wildlife.” Suzy Gregory, Co-Deputy Headteacher and Head of the Language Unit
61.7% of pupils are more aware of healthy eating & sustainability
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