Enjoy the fruits of St Edward’s Academy’s labour!’
A VILLAGE school has planted fruit trees which will develop into a community orchard.
The ECO Council at St Edward’s Academy, Cheddleton, consisting of children from four to nine years of age and led by Mr Warrington, met to discuss the design for the community orchard after plans and drawings for an orchard were completed by each class.
The children plotted out where the 25 mixed fruit trees could be planted allowing for growing space. Mr Cooke the site technician, kindly dug large holes and the whole school were actively involved in planting the apple, plum, pear and hazel trees on an unused piece of school land close to the boundary, adjacent to Hollow Lane in Cheddleton.
The ECO Council met Councillor Joe Porter, cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, who helped them to plant some of the trees.
Councillor Porter said: “It was wonderful to join the pupils to plant a community orchard in Cheddleton. The children clearly loved connecting with nature and the great outdoors. It is very important that children learn about the natural world around them and where food comes from. I hope the staff, pupils and local community enjoy the fruits of their labour for many years to come.”
Mrs Machin, the principal at St Edward’s, said she was particularly impressed with the Eco Council’s leadership on improving the environment and air quality by planting the trees.
She also explains that the garden includes a ‘tree for the queen’ to commemorate her platinum jubilee and that the community garden will be dedicated to the late Keith Hollins, former CEO of the school’s academy trust who was also a well-known and much respected member of the community.
The community orchard jointly funded by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and St Edward’s Academy, will be officially opened later this year and we are hopeful that there will be fruit from the crops available for the local community from this summer onwards.