NOTTS SCHOOL GARDEN DESIGN COMPETITION 2011-12

CHANCE TO WIN A £2,000 PROFESSIONAL DESIGN FOR YOUR SCHOOL GARDEN

Here is an opportunity for your school to engage in an exciting Nottinghamshire-wide garden design initiative.  We anticipate that the project will not only provide a useful learning resource (and a possible lively Family Learning Task), it will also help children to appreciate the extensive benefits of an outdoor class room.  One lucky school will win a professional garden design consultation (worth up to £2,000) courtesy of the award winning Lime Orchard garden design team. Two runner’s up will each receive a cash prize of £100.

As you will be aware, alfresco learning is not just about the aesthetic appeal of an outside space. A survey of 700 schools and early learning settings, commissioned by Learning through Landscapes (the national school grounds charity) proved that schools which have invested in and improved their outdoor facilities for pupils, experience significant tangible benefits such as

-           enhanced pupil behaviour (73% of respondents)

-           a reduction in bullying (64% of respondents)

-           improved attitudes towards learning (65% of respondents)

-           better social interaction (84% of respondents)

-           increased community / parental involvement (66% of respondents)

Last Year’s Winners

The Joseph Whitaker School, in Rainworth, Mansfield stepped up to the challenge  with a winning design entry - which was supported by a stunning 4 foot by 4 foot 3D model of their garden depicting a polytunnel, shed and chicken coop with accompanying chickens!!

The project was spearheaded by Sue Harpham who runs the Joseph Whitaker School (JWS) Community Gardening Club. The club represents an important support activity for special children in the community, children living with either physical and / or learning difficulties. Commenting on the school’s success, Sue said “We are thrilled to have been selected to win this prestigious award, which underpins the significant role the JWS Gardening Club plays in the local community. Participating in the Gardening Club in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays enables our special children to develop valuable life skills and boosts their self-esteem and confidence within the group. By winning the prize of a professional garden design we will be able to realize the true potential of our garden space and further enhance the scope of our WASP (We are Special People) activities”.

Minster Secondary School and Bleasby Primary School in the Southwell area were also both selected as runners-up in the competition, each winning £100 and a free initial garden design consultation.

How to Enter

If you’d like more information on the Lime Orchard School Garden Design project for Nottinghamshire schools, simply email or phone us and we will forward a an entry pack which includes ideas on getting started with a garden design, to assist  teachers in introducing this topic into their lesson plans.  The competition is open from November 2011 and the closing date for entries will be 31st March 2012 with judging taking place April 2012.

View our web site www.limeorchard.co.uk/school-gardens  for details of our award winning design capabilities / references to school gardens that we have created.

Kids Getting Enough of the Green Stuff?

According to one expert, parents have a responsibility to help their children to connect more with nature.

Richard Louv, author of a book titled ‘Last Child in the Woods’ calls for mums and dads to encourage their offspring to join in with gardening activities such as setting up a bird bath, planting seeds and even helping to dig ponds.

Louv puts forward the argument that nature can have a calming influence on children and believes there are possible negative effects associated with a failure to allow our children to connect with the natural world and visit green spaces. He claims that parents who allow this to happen may be exposing their children to the genuine risk of falling victim to Nature Deficit Disorder. Symptoms cited include hyperactivity, depression, loneliness and boredom. This theory is backed up by Jules Petty from the University of Essex who states that "green exercise" can prove beneficial to young people who are experiencing stress, referring to a report from the Environmental Science and Technology journal, which revealed youngsters can increase their overall wellbeing by participating in outdoor activities. So the clear message is, make sure your kids get their green fix!

Nottinghamshire Schools Garden Design Competition

SEARCH FOR BUDDING JUNIOR GARDEN DESIGNERS
Nottinghamshire children invited to design the ultimate alfresco classroom …

 A countywide schools competition has been launched to seek out the region’s budding junior garden designers – with the winning school receiving a professional garden design consultation from award winning local company, Lime Orchard (worth £2,000).
Nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools in the area have been tasked with the challenge, which invites students (with a little help from the teaching staff!) to design an inspirational outdoor learning space.
The project, which requires entries to be submitted s via a sketch and short written description - is designed to help local learning establishments appreciate the proven benefits of the alfresco classroom. A survey of 700 schools and early learning settings, commissioned by Learning through Landscapes (the national school grounds charity) proved that schools which have invested in and improved their outdoor facilities for pupils, experience significant tangible benefits such as

• enhanced pupil behaviour (73% of respondents)
• a reduction in bullying (64% of respondents)
• improved attitudes towards learning (65% of respondents)
• better social interaction (84% of respondents)
• increased community / parental involvement (66% of respondents)

And in June of this year, the Royal Horticultural Society released findings from a study of 1,300 teachers and 10 schools which confirmed that taking part in gardening can make a child feel happy and boost their development’. It found children in schools that encouraged gardening became more resilient, confident and lived healthier lives, resulting in the RHS saying ‘school gardening should be used as a key teaching tool, rather than as an extra-curricular activity’.
Judy Behl, managing director of Lime Orchard comments:

"There is a vast body of evidence to prove that children really thrive in schools with a good outdoor learning facility. Having been involved in a national RHS Chelsea Flower Show project to design the garden that ‘children really really want’, we are very much aware of how much enthusiasm children have for the alfresco classroom. Following on from our RHS Chelsea experience, it made total sense to capture some of that inspiration and passion amongst local children here in the county of Nottingham”.

The competition, will run from October 2010 to February 2011, with judging taking place during March 2011.

Click here to contact us for further information

Visit our Schools Garden Design Page for more inspiration!

Back to School - Outside!

Recent research commissioned by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed that children attending schools that encouraged gardening became more resilient, confident and lived healthier lives.  The study which involved 1300 teachers and 10 schools demonstrates the power of a school garden as an effective teaching tool (rather than viewing it merely as an extra curricular activity).

Researchers at the National Foundation for Educational Research found that teachers who used gardening as part of learning said it helped improve children’s readiness to learn.  The report also revealed that the outdoor classroom encouraged children to become more active in solving problems as well as boosting literacy and numeracy skills.  So if your child’s school doesn’t yet have a garden, perhaps it’s time to lobby for an outdoor classroom facility?

Freedom for Kids!

Last April, Natural England released research that revealed we are raising a generation of ‘cotton wool kids’ with fewer than 10% playing in woodlands, countryside and parks. 

The same survey claimed that nature based activities such as pond dipping, climbing trees and playing conkers are enjoyed by children – that is when they are allowed to participate - and a whopping 81% of children wanted more freedom to play outdoors. 

 Given that 85% of adults agreed that they would like their children to play outside more often – with concerns relating to road safety and stranger danger holding them back, it seems the most sensible solution is to create a safe and secure outdoor play area within the confines of your property’s outside space.  An appealing play area for children need not be at the expense of a stylish outdoor room but a well thought out garden design is a must to help you achieve that all important balance to maintain good family relations!

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Alfresco Play

With talk of Britain raising a generation of ‘cotton wool kids’ denied the pleasures of traditional outdoor play as a result of over anxious parents too scared to let their children out alone, the pressure is on to allow kids the opportunity to indulge in some traditional free play in the safety of the home garden.

The risk of a potential knock or fall in the garden pales into insignificance compared with the dangers or raising a child whose experiences are defined by websites and computer games. That said, there are definite guidelines to follow to limit the risk of an accident in the outdoor play room :

• Play surfaces for gardens need to comply with safety standard EN1177, and basically this means that it should be self draining and non slip in order to do things like safely stop muddy patches under swings
• Play equipment must satisfy the British Toy and Hobby Association to standard no EN71-8, which covers swings, slides, and similar activity toys for indoor and outdoor family use. If it does it will display the CE and Lion mark on it as an indication that it has passed the relevant stringent tests and is fit for purpose
• It makes sense to create a dedicated children’s play zone rather than have activities taking place in the middle of your outside entertainment zone! Be sensitive to the need to provide shelter from the sun and also avoid placing any equipment close to walls or a concrete surface
• As well as specific outdoor play equipment consider investing in some specially adapted outdoor games. Giant Pick Up Sticks, Giant Dominoes or the classic kids favourite board game Snakes and Ladders can all provide endless hours of fun