Get out and get growing, urges the Government in a new campaign. Learning in the outdoor classroom is a great idea - children love being out of doors, exploring the natural world. It stimulates them intellectually and imaginatively so that back in the classroom they are fired up with new experiences and discoveries.

Norma Penny took on the headship of Barnett Wood infant school in Ashtead, Surrey, determined to develop learning opportunities in the school grounds. As an early years specialist, she is a firm believer in the importance of working and playing outdoors and the way it motivates children and teachers.

The past 18 months have seen a transformation at the 144-pupil village school. Outside, there is the creation of new flower and vegetable gardens, a composting area, woodland trail, and a pond in the making. Inside, school life has changed just as dramatically, with the grounds providing a new dimension to almost every area of the curriculum. Beyond the school, there has been a strong show of community interest and a strengthening of links with parents.

A key partner in the Barnett Wood grounds development is the environmental charity, Learning Through Landscapes (LTL), which was brought on board when the school became part of the Growing School Links programme, sponsored by Exxon Mobil. This provides welcome funding (an initial pound;500 to update basic science equipment and another pound;1,000 towards an interactive white board and projector), but just as importantly helps the school to link up with other organisations for advice and potential funding.

Ken Davies, director of LTL, says there is a real need to guide teachers through the maze of organisations and sources of funding they come across when they start to develop their school grounds. “There are 30 to 40 sources of help; the problem for many schools is how to sort out the community links.”

At Barnett Wood, the Surrey Wildlife Trust has provided vital information on planning and planting the pond and will be running training days for teachers on how to use it. The Royal Society’s partnership grants scheme led to further funding for the woodland trail. Advice on sustainability and energy efficiency came from Create and the Groundwork Trust. This practical face-to-face contact has been invaluable, says Norma Penny. “It would have been very easy to waste a lot of time and money without their help. I had lots of ideas, but didn’t know where to start. They asked the questions that needed to be answered and gave me a structure and a strategy.”

LTL’s philosophy is to start with the children. Pupils drew maps and plans of the grounds and talked and wrote about what they would like to see changed. Every stage has been recorded on the school’s intranet and website with “before and after” pictures taken by the children using the school’s digital camera. “The school grounds are a place for delivering a dynamic, child-centred and balanced curriculum,” says LTL director, Ken Davies. “Parents want children to be happy in an environment where they can develop, learn and grow, emotionally and socially as well as physically and academically.” LTL has been advising schools and lobbying government for better school grounds provision since 1990. With the launch of the Growing Schools initiative, the climate seems to be changing.

Growing Schools

Supported by pound;500,000 from the DFES, this aims to:

* increase opportunities for pupils to experience animals and plants at first hand;

* make children more aware of the natural environment and their responsibilities towards it;

* help children understand where their food comes from and the place of farming in the economy;

* provide time and space for children to reacquaint themselves with nature;

* encourage teachers to explore a wider range of teaching and learning experiences;

* offer a hands-on approach to learning about the natural world;

* show how these approaches can be integrated into existing educational programmes;

* help teachers become more confident in using outdoor resources.

A national conference in London on February 21 will showcase examples of good practice and pupils’ work. Projects funded under this initiative will produce resources for wider use by schools.

More information from: www.dfes.gov.uk; tel: 0870 000 2288.

THE GROWING SCHOOLS GARDEN

A model garden at the Hampton Court Flower Show (July 2-7) will demonstrate best practice in school grounds development. It will include ideas from schools around the country, such as a solar-powered water feature from Royston high school in Darton, Yorkshire, and environmental art from Coombes infant school in Arborfield Cross, Reading. Garden designer Claire Whitehouse is working with project manager Martha Godfrey (based at Gardening Which?) and selected schools in developing an “inspirational garden” to support the Growing Schools initiative. It will highlight curriculum links and illustrate a wide variety of features, such as play areas, vegetable and wildlife areas, a friendship stop, murals, alternative energy sources. “Schools won’t be able to reproduce everything,” says Martha Godfrey, “but we want everyone to find something they can relate to, whether they have a tarmac playground or acres of land.” Schools will be able to follow the development of the garden on a website and contribute their own ideas.

www.schoolgarden.co.uk goes live on Feb 1. For more details e-mail SchoolsGarden@which.co.uk

LINKS

The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens

The Federation is researching links between schools, farming and gardening. It represents city farms, community gardens, school farms and community allotment groups.

www.farmgarden.org.uk

Learning Through Landscapes

LTL has responded to requests for more teaching and learning resources and more technical advice. Members are sent themed materials and have access to a lending library of videos, posters, slide shows and regularly updated advice on the website. UK membership is pound;50. Tel: 01962 846258.

www.ltl.org.uk

The Council for Environmental Education

This is the national umbrella body for 80 organisations in England interested in the role of education in achieving sustainable development. www.cee.org.uk

Create

The government-funded Centre for Research, Education and Training in Energy (Create) promotes energy-saving in schools and colleges. Energy Chest (www.energychest.net) is an interactive website for 8 to 14-year-olds with information, curriculum activities, and teacher’s notes. E-mail: info@create.org.uk

Groundwork Trust

Established in 1981, Groundwork has a network of more than 40 trusts working with local people, local authorities and businesses to improve the environment. www.groundwork.org.uk

Henry Doubleday Research Association

The HDRA offers advice, support and resources on organic growing through the Organic Network for Schools. www.schoolsorganic.net

The Royal Horticultural Society

The RHS runs inset days for teachers. Schools membership is free and includes a termly newsletter. www.rhs.org.uk

The Royal Society

To apply for a Royal Society partnership grant, go to www.royalsoc.ac.ukeducationpartnership.htm

For details of the ExxonMobil education and environment programmes, go to www.esso.co.uk, or e-mail esso@mmcltd.com