Meet the funders


standards of estate management throughout its land, farms and buildings, remaining true to founder Ernest Cook’s vision. 30,000 children visit these


estates every year, on every day of the year, to take part in outdoor activities that reect the full spectrum of the school curriculum. ‘We frequently hear teachers say


they don’t recognise their pupils when they see them working in an outdoor setting! Children learn to interact in completely different ways and are generally much more social and more productive,’ says Ford. The Ernest Cook Trust grants


application process is light touch and proportional. ‘We ask for no more than two pages of A4 detailing the project. We then like to talk to applicants by phone to get a clearer picture,’ explains Ford. The applications that get through the rst stage are passed to trustees


who make the nal decision. ‘The applications that shine


through are well thought out and fully-costed. Passion and enthusiasm is good but there has to be strong evidence of planning. We want to know the projects will happen. ‘Reach is also important. We like


to see projects that benet a lot of children and cater for different age groups, and serve many members of a community,’ says Ford. ‘We can immediately see the


applications that have been written by a professional. They are polished, but often long, and that is not necessarily a good thing. We might also question the use of funds in hiring a professional, particularly if it is for a smaller grant.’


For more information on grants and the Ernest Cook Trust’s Learning Outside the Classroom initiative, go to ernestcooktrust.org.uk


PREVIOUSLY-FUNDED PROJECTS


Bredon Hancock’s First School, Tewkesbury, Gloucester (173 pupils) This village school received an ECT grant of £1,100. The school had established a partnership with a school in Tanzania and wanted a project in which both schools could take part. Bag Gardens – a biodegradable hessian sack filled with compost and soil with a column of stones up the middle – were a simple way for children in the UK to find out about sustainable living. The children worked in small groups to create the gardens and then as individuals and pairs to maintain them, and their herbs and vegetables have been used in cooking activities. The scheme has now expanded into a whole vegetable plot with the installation of a greenhouse, water butts, and raised vegetable beds.


on-site Strathmore school for special needs students, as well as providing opportunities for residents across the Boroughs of Richmond and Kingston. ‘We aim to have livestock, such as


On Friday 11 March 2016 the Mayor and Deputy Mayor ceremoniously dug the first foundations, joined by students from Grey Court and Strathmore schools. Grey Court Farm will become operational in the next academic year.


The three-acre farm site will be


within Grey Court’s school grounds, and is designed as an innovative and environmentally-sensitive animal housing and teaching area. The school already runs a community allotment, has its own orchard, and keeps free-range hens. The farm has been set up as a


registered charity and aims to become a centre of excellence for environmental and agricultural education. It comprises a building to house farm animals with a linked classroom space. Grey Court Farm will offer enriched curriculum opportunities for students at Grey Court and those who attend the


lambs, pigs and perhaps a goat that we can rear, and who may then go on to market. It sounds harsh but there is a disconnect for many children around where food comes from. The ambition is that this will be a farm-to-fork experience,’ explains Thomas. Ford explains: ‘The fact that this


was to be one of the first working farms within a school in London was hugely exciting. It is an ambitious and innovative project that delivers rich and varied learning opportunities. The farm will involve a large number of children of various ages, including special needs students, as well as the wider community. It supports learning across the curriculum, and students at risk of under-achievement have reacted positively. It gives young people practical experience of food production, the natural environment and the responsibilities we all have in caring for it.’ Thomas says: ‘The conviction for


this project was so strong and the concept so well defined that it literally jumped off the page. The backing of our community, including our MP, helped enormously in engaging funders to bring this vision to life.’


Paddock Junior and Infants School, Huddersfield, West Yorks (398 pupils) This school had worked with the National Trust to regenerate an under-used green space next to the school, giving a group of children the skills to maintain the area and mentor other classes. Year 5 children visited a nearby woodland where wardens advised on the best types of plants to entice wildlife, and the children learned how to safely handle tools, developed basic coppicing skills and built new feed tables from recycled materials. The team sowed a new meadow garden, learning how to prepare the land. Classes studied biodiversity and examined landscapes for wildlife, giving them the chance to develop analytical thinking and to produce graphs and tally charts as well as compiling fantastic written work detailing their experiences. A grant of £1,227 was given for the materials and for the help of a coppicing expert.


Burwell Village College Primary School, Burwell, Cambridgeshire (431 pupils) A grant of £1,263 allowed this school to transform a disused area into a wildlife garden where pupils can discover bees, butterflies, beetles and birds in their natural habitats. One of the most exciting projects was a bughouse of recycled items – children used pallets to create the layers, adding bits of old piping, bamboo canes, rocks, moss, bark and twigs. An insect and plant observatory was also created, and a window planter allows pupils to see how plants grow above and below ground, as well as insects and worms living in the soil.


FundEd SUMMER 2016 33


IMAGE: BANANASTOCK/THINKSTOCK.CO.UK


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