Copyright Damers First School, Dorset 2024
Schools
Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature is looking to support schools around the country with help and advice, helping children to get hands-on with growing their own food, and learning what to cook with the fruits of their labours.
By pledging to take part in Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature, schools are being encouraged to:Â
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Grow healthy food to eat – this could range from herbs and salads, through to vegetables and fruit trees depending on the space you haveÂ
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Plant pollinator-friendly blooms – butterflies, moths, bees and hoverflies all need sources of nectar and pollen to thrive. As they travel from flower to flower, they also pollinate them, enabling plants to set seed or bear fruitÂ
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Create a water feature, which could be as simple as a submerged dish or as involved as digging a pond, lining it and oxygenating it using native plants such as hornwortÂ
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Leave a patch of long grass or pile of logs to create shelter for wildlife and natural predators such as hedgehogs and frogsÂ
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Go chemical and peat-free – avoid using pesticides, weedkillers and peat!Â
Copyright Edd Moore Damers First School 2023
Damers First School
Check out the incredible work that Damers First School in Dorset are doing. They take a fully holistic approach, with pupils growing, composting their food waste, cooking, and even selling at a local market.
Copyright Tamara Jewell, Sussex Wildlife Trust 2023
Tilgate Park Youth Rangers
Another great example is the Tilgate Park Youth Rangers - these 16-25 year olds in Sussex are sometimes referred to the group through local social prescribing. They learn new skills in practical nature conservation and wildlife gardening.
Coming soon
We know it can be hard to get started, which is why we would like to provide schools with more support.
We've been speaking to educators* to find out what the barriers are to setting up a garden for food growing in a wildlife-friendly way - and this is what we've been told:
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40% of schools said they didn't have a garden, but would like to set one up
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86% of all respondents said that lack of funds for seeds and plants was a barrier to participationÂ
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77% lacked tools and equipmentÂ
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68% wanted more information in a digital form such as a downloadable pack (we’ve created this and will keep it updated with new tips and help).Â
*Survey of more than 15,000 schools
That's why we're launching a comprehensive digital pack of information, specifically tailored to schools and outdoor educators.
Register your interest in the new schools toolkit below, so that you can be the first to hear when it's available. Also, feel free to let us know what you would like to see included in the toolkit.
The Coronation Gardens Schools' Fund
We're also looking to set up a small grants scheme for schools looking to get started - if you can help with this or know a business that might be interested in supporting see here.