Ongoing

The Department for Education and Skills’ Growing Schools team runs courses in the award-winning Growing Schools Garden in Eltham, London SE9.

Forthcoming sessions include: Developing an effective school gardening club, December 2; Gardening for busy teachers, February 27; Energy education, March 3; Developing and using school grounds for wildlife gardening, March 24; Ecological fieldwork techniques for secondary teachers, June 9; Educating through the eco-footprint, June 16. Fee: pound;115 per course.

Telfax: 020 8294 5864; www.teachernet.gov.ukgrowingschools

The Great Vegetable Challenge

Closes December 16

To coincide with the opening of Wallace and Gromit - Curse of the Were-Rabbit, the Department for Education and Skills’ Growing Schools programme and Aardman Animations are looking for the best vegetable plotsgrowing areas in primary schools nationwide. Two prizes of pound;2,500 for school grounds development will be awarded to the best-established plot and new growing area. The winning schools will also be visited by the Wallace and Gromit van. Four runners-up will receive pound;500 for school grounds development plus a gardening pack worth pound;500. www.teachernet.gov.ukgrowingschools

Win a holiday to Florida

Closes December 20

For its Young Letter Writers Competition, Royal Mail is asking children to “write a First Class letter to anyone, anywhere, about anything”. They can be handwritten, typed or in Braille and use of slang language is accepted. The age categories are six to eight and nine to 11.

Competition helpline: 0870 1640; www.royalmail.comyoungletterwriters National Number Nonsense Competition

Closes December 31

Children aged five to seven have been creating nonsense characters to represent a maths skill. The competition is inspired by Edward Lear characters featured in Ginn’s maths education programme Abacus Evolve, written by Professor Ruth Merttens, who is also the competition judge.

First prize is a pound;50 Toys R Us voucher together with pound;800 worth of the latest Abacus Evolve CD-Roms for the school. Entries to: Judy Anders, Ginn, Halley Court, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8EJ.

www.abacusevolve.com