Blue Peter meets pupils gardening with grandparents
GENERATIONS ARE UNITED AT PRIMARY IN LEARNING TO GROW VEG
GREEN-FINGERED pupils at a primary school have had a visit from Blue Peter.
The BBC team was at Battling Brook, in Hinckley, to learn about its Grandparent Gardening Week activities.
The school has a thriving fruit and vegetable garden tended by the children and supported by grandparents.
John Welford has helped the school to develop the garden for over 10 years, since his first grandchild attended the school.
He then came up with the idea of launching a Grandparent Gardening initiative to help the school teach the children about gardening and how to enjoy nature.
John said: “I had been doing the garden for a while when I thought that maybe we could put the grandparents together with their grandchildren as a great opportunity for them to grow and cook together.
“It has grown and grown and now we get whole year groups together during Grandparent Gardening Week.
“The children are really enthusiastic about gardening.
“Regardless of the weather they are always happy to get outdoors and they are really keen to get involved and learn about gardening.
“I hope it will carry on when they get older.
“It is really important that they learn where their food comes from.
“The number of children who have been surprised when they see the potatoes come out of the ground – they realise that they don’t just pop up in the supermarket in plastic bags.
“I would encourage other grandparents and schools to get out and use their gardens and get the children enjoying the opportunity to grow and learn where their food comes from.” New Blue Peter presenter Abby Cook joined the children and their grandparents, where she learned about planting seedlings, preparing the soil and which varieties of vegetables are in season.
Battling Brook teacher Katie Pickering said: “It has been a great day today having Blue Peter here – there has been a real buzz around school.
“We have been really lucky to showcase Grandparent Gardening Week.
“It is a great opportunity for the children to get out and grow together with their grandparents and benefit from their knowledge.
“Many of our children don’t have their own gardens at home so they love the opportunity to learn about planting and growing their own fruit and vegetables.
“Much of the produce they grow here in the garden are used by our cooks in the kitchen.
“Children learn so much by being out in the fresh air.
“I would encourage other schools to get involved in the Plant and Share month activities – it is easy to do.
“We started small but it has grown and grown and now we have up to 65 grandparents attending.”
■ The Blue Peter episode is available on iplayer.