High five for Casterton’s gardeners

Green-fingered children at Casterton Primary Academy are celebrating after receiving all five available school gardening awards from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Children in EYFS achieved the RHS School Gardening Awards Level 1 after submitting evidence to show that they understand the benefits of gardening and any hazards in the garden and have planned an area in the school grounds for a gardening project.

Children in Year 2 received the Level 2 Award after planning what they want to grow and starting to plant their seeds, learning how to use hand tools safely and developing skills to prepare the soil, sow, plant and water.

The Level 3 Award recognises schools who extend the range of plants they grow, learn to keep their plants healthy and use planet-friendly approaches when they garden. Children designed and built bird houses and planned and planted a herb garden, which will be used by all classes.

Year 5 children helped the school to achieve the Level 4 Award by planting strawberries and designing a dessert featuring them. They enjoyed making their strawberry based desserts with their home-grown crops.

The whole school contributed to achieving the Level 5 Award with the school having to show that they are involving the community with their gardening plans, gardening in every season and that their garden is a long term project. To show that they are working with the community, children and staff have regularly been visiting Dove Court Nursing Home to support them with the development of their own gardens.

The development of Casterton’s gardening areas has been supported by a £100 donation from Silentnight after children presented their sustainability ideas to a panel of judges at the Pendle Education Trust sustainability competition.