Chelsea Flower Show Miracle-Growers Learning Journey

Having recently applied to enter a competition where we can win the chance to enter our flowers, fruit and vegetables into the Chelsea Flower Show  we are delighted to have been selected to grow crops or flowers for the Miracle-Growers Vegetable or Flower Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this May. 

We will receive seeds for the crops which have been allocated for our school and we hope to successfully grow the seeds to maturity and that our school’s plants will be lucky enough to feature on The Miracle-Growers Chelsea Show stand. As well as the seeds / plants supplied to us, we are also invited to grow vegetable seeds of our own choice to hopefully gain space at the show.

To give you a flavour of some of the articles and material used during Chelsea last year click on this link. http://www.lovethegarden.com/search?q=chelsea&pg=2.You will also see many pictures taken on the two gardens.

A special schools website will be launched on 14^th February http://www.lovethegarden.com/schools to support us through the Miracle-Growers learning journey.  The website will provide useful information on growing crops, latest information on our visits to schools and news of key dates for your diary.  So watch this space!

For judging purposes we will need to supply pictures of our best plants early in May so that the best from around the country are selected for collection and display, week commencing 21^st May 2012 at Chelsea.

Click here to view the RHS-Moving-Up-Growing-On Booklet

Special thanks to Mr Currie, Teacher of SEN who entered this competition for us.

• Read Sarah-Jane Mason's report below for a dscription of her work in AGS and a link to her report:-

Dear All,

The RHS Moving Up, Growing On report report is now complete and ready to view online. I hope the report highlights some of the excellent work already going on in schools and inspires many more schools to start gardening with their students.

Moving up, Growing on focuses on six schools and education centres across Yorkshire, who through their work with the RHS have helped children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) to find their own voice and re-engage with education. The skills learnt through the gardening projects undertaken, not only bolstered the children’s confidence and friendships but enabled them to move from childhood to adolescence with less stress and trauma.

Sarah-Jane Mason, ex-Allerton Grange student, SEN Project Officer for the RHS and co-author of the report, explains, “Over the past twelve months I worked with 130 students and 80 teachers across six different learning environments in Yorkshire. All the students have different educational needs, meaning that a person centred approach is vital to their learning. Gardening is a fantastic tool for breaking down barriers and offering children a different environment in which to learn”.

Released with the backing of Lorraine Petersen, Chief Executive of NASEN*, Moving up, Growing on champions not only the role gardening can play in a child’s life but also how it can teach new skills to everyone involved and benefit families and whole school communities.

Lorraine Petersen said: ‘When a child has Special Educational Needs, it is imperative that they feel part of society, in order to succeed. From what I have read and seen, gardening in schools put everyone on a level playing field - they all learn together, experience together and move forward together. The other children, teachers and parents are learning at the same time as the children with SEN, meaning they have a shared experience. This experience goes a long way to closing the gap between being different.’

During their involvement with the project, students learnt an average of 15 new horticultural and life skills. These skills are providing a foundation for some students to move into further education and participate in work experience. These achievements will be a vital part of the their progress towards living a more independent life.

For further information on the RHS, its work with SEN schools and its Campaign for School Gardening, as well as to download a copy of Moving up, Growing on visit http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening/teachershome/resources/specialeducationalneeds/growingupmovingonreport.aspa

Feb 2012