Building a teaching program from the school garden

From a garden, teachers can build curriculum for many subjects, helping to increase learning efficiency and make children happier.

Tim Baker, principal of Charlton Manor Primary School (London), one of thousands of schools participating in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) School Garden Campaign, shared with The Guardian on September 29 about the impact of gardens in developing children's learning skills.

It was 2004 when I decided to build a garden at Charlton Manor Primary School, using a vacant lot on the grounds. I had read many stories about how children lacked knowledge about where their food came from, and how little they felt about the connection between society and food. The reason was clear: We were no longer teaching children about food in schools like we used to.

I see the garden as an opportunity for children to learn in a hands-on outdoor setting about the importance of eating fruit and vegetables. But I also like to use it to cover other topics: life cycles, angiosperms, pollination, adaptations, developing creative writing and report writing skills. I believe many subjects can be taught effectively in a garden, stimulating students’ activity levels and encouraging teamwork.

The garden has become a central part of the curriculum at Tim Baker's primary school. Photo: Alamy

With many teachers facing statements like “It’s not your fault” or “It’s not just you,” this is an opportunity to develop a sense of responsibility in children. We took the children to a local garden to inspire them, helping them visualize what a school garden should look like. From there, they came up with ideas for fruit and vegetable growing areas, natural ponds with bridges across which they could view the landscape, and observe fish and bird life. Additionally, a greenhouse was set up in the maze, which helped to create a sense of mystery in the garden.

Four years later, gardening has become a central part of our curriculum. When doing a creative writing assignment about buried treasure, students go out into the garden to look at the sights and sounds of nature. In math class, they measure flower beds instead of relying on miniature drawings in textbooks. We also create charts and graphs by measuring the growth of sunflower seeds, and record weather information from the weather station and its effects.

This was no easy task. At first, we struggled to find like-minded teachers, many of whom feared that children’s behavior would worsen. They believed that a child who behaved poorly in class would become more unruly when he was sent outside. But once they began using the garden for teaching, these teachers saw a positive change in their students. They were willing to work in groups, take on individual tasks, and share responsibility for nurturing the plants.

We had to find a way to raise funding and were fortunate enough to have enough funding to do so.hire a landscape architect.The school also uses the funds to hire a full-time gardener, paid at the support staff rate, who works year-round to plan and deliver lessons with teachers.

Of course, there are other ways to do this. I know of schools that look for volunteers who are parents or grandparents of students, or teaching assistants who are knowledgeable about gardening and willing to share their expertise. Building school gardens on local land and tapping into the potential of the local community is also an effective option.

Students work in groups, responsible for looking after the school garden. Photo: Charlton Manor Primary School

Produce from the garden can be sold by the students in the school store on weekdays. We started selling potatoes, tomatoes, eggs and honey (harvested from chickens and beehives in the garden)for parents. The radishes, mint and greens used to make the salad are sold to a local restaurant, via a stall at Borough Food Market in central London. The money earned is used to buy gardening tools, more expensive plants such as fruit trees...

The Growing Food in Schools organization has highlighted the benefits of school gardens, including improved academic performance, greater child well-being, and an understanding of the natural environment. Their research shows that outdoor learning can add value to everyday classroom experiences.

I agree. Gardens transform schools, provide wonderful learning opportunities for children, and bring communities together. To me, gardens anywhere – in woodlands, hanging baskets, or on windowsills – should be considered essential learning tools for every school.

According to VNE