Our Eco School
This Means Bangin’ Beans!
This term, we are super excited to have entered a nationwide experiment set up by Southampton University, where we are planting a variety of legume seeds (beans). The aim of this survey is to see which area of the U.K. best supports the growth of a variety of seeds from the legume family.
We are planting broad beans, dwarf beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils and lablab.
Fingers crossed, they should be germinated in about 6-10 days and fully grown in a couple of months!
During the summer term we will be avidly observing and measuring our legumes once they have germinated, entering all of our findings onto the national database set up by the University. We will also be measuring the pH of the soil as this too is being looked at to see how it affects the bean growth.
Do keep an eye on our playground raised beds for signs of growth! We are very much looking forward to reporting on their progress over the coming weeks and hopefully being able to taste them if they are successful.
It’s Spring and It’s Clean
We have had a good spring clean of our gardening shed and it’s now sparkling! All of our older children can now easily access our litter pickers and gloves.
Veggie-Tastic!
In addition to all of this, our school has been planting vegetables! From tomatoes to carrots, chillies and courgettes, it has been fantastic to see so many shoots sprouting on windowsills. Linked to our science learning, the children have been ensuring they are kept watered and have enough sunlight to nurture their growth. Now the weather has warmed and our beds are being busily prepared, we will be planting these outside and will continue to nurture and observe their growth. Here are some photos:
Our wonderful world
On Earth Day, some of our ECO Warriors explained the importance of the day during assembly and inspired us to continue to look after our school grounds by ensuring we are regularly composting our apple cores, banana peels and other fruit and veg, such as our strawberry tops. We have learnt that these organic materials break down, releasing nutrients back into the soil, which can then be used to support our plant growth.
We have also been busy ensuring our school grounds are used to encourage a diversity of wildlife and ecosystems. We have replenished our bug hotels and log piles to support our mission and are looking forward to observing as much wildlife as we can in the coming months.
By Amelie and Briony (Year 6)