Our most recent action has been
to sign up for food waste collection with Lewisham Borough Council. The council offered food waste collection from homes for years and then trialled it at schools. When the trial ended and it became official, Rathfern signed up immediately. Now, pupils separate their food waste in the dining hall after eating and the council takes it away for recycling. Maria Georgiou, who helps supervise the children before and after school and during lunch and breaks, says it also helps the school understand the food pupils eat and what they dislike. Our school was rated at high risk
of flooding and secured a grant to dig up some of the concrete on the playground and replace it with gardens and trees. The Friends of Rathfern supported this transformation by donating money to buy gardening equipment. The gardens help the children connect with nature and reduce CO2. As the trees grow, they will provide shade as our planet heats up. The children love caring for the gardens. Shireen Tawil, events lead, Friends of Rathfern, Lewisham, London (500 pupils)
The school’s freshly painted bathroom halls with VOC-free paint generously donated by Little Knights
Growing
vegetables and composting
‘Children were demanding spinach for tea. I was thrilled!’
I
have been actively involved in gardening and promoting
environmental awareness at Oakwood Primary for the past six years, starting when my oldest son was in Year 1. A few other mums and I decided to build six raised beds on a piece of waste ground. The children loved it as they moved up the school, and they clearly wanted to continue gardening. Recently, the school approached us to create a new growing space, which we gladly agreed to. They allocated us a corner of the
field where we have created five more raised beds. Inspired by the composting revolution of the Enrich The Earth (
enrichtheearth.co.uk) campaign, we also installed four compost bins. Pupils fill them with cardboard, fruit and veg scraps from the school kitchen, and leaves and grass clippings. We also built a bug hotel from old pallets. We run regular Lend a Hand days
where families come along at the weekend to help with gardening
12 SPRING 2024
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duties, such as weeding, clearing and painting fences. The last time we ran one, a parent who works as a plumber set up a water butt system to capture rainwater from a gazebo in the playground. Another parent, a handyman, took charge of building the beds. Funds to support this project come
from the PTA running brilliant events, from discos and karaoke to quizzes and festive fairs. John O’Conner, the company that processes green waste in our area, donated free compost to fill the beds. We needed a considerable amount, so they saved us a lot of money. In the beds, we have planted a
range of herbs, such as mint, lavender, thyme and fennel, to create a sensory space. We aim to plant as many vegetable and fruit varieties as we can and hopefully have them ready for harvesting before the school summer holidays. We’re also hoping to create a circular wildflower bed to encourage pollinators.
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