News from Schools

Stakesby Primary

Stakesby Community Primary School, Whitby have been out checking on their garden areas and kindly sent us this update on their YGT onions and apple tree:

'Just to let you know that, incredibly, our onions have survived and are looking very healthy! The apple tree is also starting to show signs of budding leaves and we have watered it generously last week.'

This year at Stakesby, individual classes are taking responsibility for specific areas of the school gardens, sowing seeds, weeding and maintaining them and taking on ownership. If you'd like to read more about what's going on in Stakesby School outdoor areas at their Econews webpage, click here

St Catherine's

St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School in Sheffield was awarded a YGT Grounds Development Award in Spring 2012 and helped them to create a new growing area in their grounds. Their latest update and photos show how they have been fairing in the school garden with the late Spring this year:

'March update:

March, crazy weather, we’ve had quite a few indoor lessons due to the weather this month! However we still managed to get a couple of important jobs done. We are excited to see the apple tree coming to bud this year. We’ve had to temporarily plant it at the top of our woodland area as we are still preparing our new orchard but hope to get it planted before the end of term if possible.

We received free potato kits from GYOP in January and the children were taught how to chit and then the Y4 children planted them up and will keep looking after them until they are ready to harvest in June/July.

In our raised beds area the children planted up shallots, we then had to cover the beds with rainbow canes and bird netting as we have a couple of foxes on our school grounds which like to dig up the soil.

It’s unfortunate that we had such bad weather this month as it held us back from planting up seeds although we have managed to start up some sweet peas.'

Northstead Primary

Harvest time in the vegetable garden!

Site where a new pond is to be built, with the help of a YGT for Schools Grounds Development award

Northstead Community Primary School in Scarborough was granted a YGT Grounds Development Award in November to help them create a securely fenced pond at the school. The children and staff have all spent time discussing and researching the wildlife and safety aspects of having a pond in their grounds. The enthusiastic gardening club have already worked hard to develop a fruit and vegetable growing area and a bee garden, designed by the children. They have even won a Scarborough in Bloom Gold award for their efforts so far. We wish Northstead Primary every success with their latest venture in the garden and looking forward to more photos as the work progresses!