Pooles Park School recognises the importance of contact with nature, for pupils, staff and visitors. At Pooles Park we raise awareness of biodiversity and sustainable practices to educate future generations. We look after our garden as a resource for local children and the wider community.

We are so lucky at Pooles Park to have a beautiful, accessible and interactive garden for our whole school community to enjoy; with many mature trees, grass, wildflower meadows, a Global Food Garden where we grow our own organic food, a Wildlife Garden where we are able to explore aquatic wildlife living in our pond and also an enclosure where our resident hens live.

Teachers regularly use this wonderful green space as an outdoor classroom to teach our pupils a variety of curriculum subjects. In science, for example, growing plants, exploring wildlife habitats and learning about lifecycles can be taught in our garden.

The children, from Foundation Stage to Year Six, are often seen using their initiative to keep our garden areas tidy and watering plants during playtimes. We also have an Environment Team set up where children are responsible for particular jobs on a regular basis.

An Environmental Tutor works with the children and classes each week via lunchtime and after school clubs, as well as curriculum time workshops, providing the space and expertise to encourage the children to develop an appreciation of the natural environment, wildlife and growing plants.

The learning that takes place beyond the classroom allows children to interact in different ways with each other and the environment, and all of our children are able to use this space regularly.

Our beautiful garden and Environmental Education Project has nationwide recognition and has won several awards including: the London School’s Environmental Award, Islington in Bloom, London in Bloom’s Certificate of Excellence, WWF’s Green Ambassadors Award, the Green Heroes Award, the Giant Green Business Award and more.