Three Cherwell primary schools have been venturing out of the classroom and getting stuck into hands-on health and wellbeing education thanks to local council food grants.
Published: Friday, 14th February 2025
Banbury primary schools, St Leonard’s and Dashwood Academy and Bicester primary St Mary’s Catholic School were all supported over the 2023/24 school year by a community food grant from Cherwell District Council. They all used these to enhance their school curriculum provision.
Councillor Rob Pattenden, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities, said: “It is so brilliant to hear how local primary schools have been able to utilise the grant to cultivate healthier and more sustainable learning environments enriching the learning experience for their pupils.
“Thanks to these grants pupils have been empowered to connect with nature, learn about the importance of nutrition, and develop hands-on skills that will not only benefit them now but for many years to come.”
Dashwood Academy was able to upgrade its cooking resources, leading to increased knowledge of fresh ingredients; where they come from and how to use them in healthy and nutritionally balanced meals. In addition to this, the school have used the grant to further develop the school garden and they continue to support community groups with the fresh produce pupils grow.
The grants allowed St Mary’s Catholic School to transform their outside space by adding an allotment. Since the installation of the allotment, pupils have been able to learn about a ‘garden to plate’ approach to nutrition, with children planting, growing, harvesting and cooking the vegetables grown.
Rosie Staniland, Early Years Foundation Stage Lead at St Mary’s Catholic School, said: “It was brilliant to see such quick results from the allotment. Everyone was excited by the fast growth of the lettuce and the children were amazed to collect a bowl full of it that they could eat and share. Pupils were also able to take home a tomato plant that they grew from a seedling and photograph how they were caring for it.
“We have had some lovely feedback from pupils, including, ‘ Gardening club is the best club ever!”
Like other schools to benefit from a food grant, St Leonard’s Primary School created an outside learning space. The edible garden at the school was used by pupils to grow fruits and vegetables that they then picked and cooked with their families.
The new addition was positively received by the school community with comments including, “I’ve only got a small garden at home and it’s brilliant to have massive raised beds at school.”, “It’s really exciting to grow things to eat.” and “Home grown strawberries taste better than the ones from the supermarket!”