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.

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