School Allotments - How we can help

We believe in the benefits of outdoor activities on the wellbeing of children and adults. We have seen the benefits this can deliver in a school environment, how it helps children understand the natural world, how to eat healthy diets, where food comes from. The activities improve their self esteem, gives them focus and helps calm students who find integration into standard education situations difficult.

Your school may now be looking to apply these benefits within the school environment through a School Allotment Project, perhaps linked to the Healthy Schools, "Grow your own" or Sustainable Schools initiatives.

However, such activities are new to many schools. Their teachers may have very limited experience in setting up such schemes and it is hard to know where to start. We have significant experience of such activities and can provide to help schools start, maintain and extract maximum benefit from their "School Allotment Project".

The following packages have been developed to give an outline of what can be achieved. However, we can always provide tailored support especially for students who need more specialist support. We normally deliver this to Schools in the Watford and surrounding areas but can go wider a field. If you are interested in the packages outlined or a more want to discuss a more tailored option please contact us.

School Allotment Primer

Our experienced trainer will come to your school to talk through with the project leader what such a project entails, the amount of land you will need, impacts of its location, what maintenance will be required, impact of the school holidays, how the project can be linked to other curricula etc. This would take the form of a two hour consultation and our primer check list documentation.

School Allotment Starter

This includes the Primer Session above but then extends this to support with the planning of the project, the sorts of costs, tools, security, safety training required, project planning, staff coverage, and use of parent volunteers.

School Allotment Basic Build

This includes the Allotment Starter with the addition of support for the creation of the actual allotment. Planning of the plot, building of basic raised bed structures, planting schemes, lesson planning.

This is a more significant engagement with the school and would take place over a few weeks. We would work with the school and their plans/resources to work within the planned project framework so that staff feel confident to take the project forward rather than "it all being done for them".

School Allotment Staff training

Modules include:

• Training of basic tool safety, rules on site, health issues 
• Basic allotment management
• Activity creation, planning and delivery

For more information email enquiries@farmingforall.org.uk