Food growing on National Curriculum
Garden Organic is delighted its long campaign for every schoolchild to have a chance to grow their own food looks set to succeed – with “horticulture” due to become part of the National Curriculum.
“Horticulture” due to become part of the National Curriculum
Garden Organic is thrilled that horticulture has been introduced as a key activity for design and technology in the draft version of the National Curriculum*.
The final version of the National Curriculum is due to be published in August 2013 and taught in schools from September 2014.
Myles Bremner, Chief Executive of Garden Organic, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see horticulture playing a key part in the design and technology curriculum.
“This will give pupils an opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables, which is a vital part of their wider food education and brings so many other benefits in terms of health, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours.”
Garden Organic – the UK’s leading organic growing charity – was chosen to lead the government-backed Food Growing in Schools Taskforce involving 25 key organisations in 2011.
This taskforce published a report in March 2012, which brought together evidence for the first time of the benefits of giving children a chance to grow their own food.
The report offers compelling evidence showing how food growing in schools can help pupils to achieve, build life and employability skills, and improve their health and wellbeing.
Myles Bremner added: “While it is wonderful to see that the importance of food growing in schools finally being recognised, more work still needs to be done in Key Stage 4 and beyond to ensure that young people are being encouraged to see horticulture as a viable career.”
Garden Organic has been actively supporting schools to grow their own food since it launched its Garden Organic for Schools project in 2000.
And the charity has been working as part of the successful Food for Life Partnership since 2007 to help more than 4,400 schools to get growing.
This partnership brings together the Soil Association, Garden Organic, Focus on Food and the Health Education Trust to transform food culture in schools and communities across England.
To find out more about Garden Organic’s work with schools visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk/schools
* “The National Curriculum in England – framework document for consultation” (see pages 156-160) says that the National Curriculum for design and technology aims to ensure that all pupils “understand food and nutrition and, where possible, have opportunities to learn to cook”. And it states that pupils in Key Stages 1 to 3 should be taught practical knowledge, skills and crafts working in fields such as “ “horticulture: to cultivate plants for practical purposes, such as for food or for decorative displays.
– Garden Organic, the UK’s leading organic growing charity, has been at the forefront of the organic horticulture movement for 50 years. Dedicated to promoting organic gardening in homes, communities and schools, it uses innovation and inspiration to get more people growing in the most sustainable way.
– The Garden Organic for Schools project has more than 9,000 schools across the UK as members. They receive practical organic gardening advice, a quarterly newsletter, Curriculum-based resources and free seeds. To find out more visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk.
– The Food Growing in Schools Taskforce consisted of representatives with interests and expertise in the delivery of food growing in schools. It was chaired and coordinated by Garden Organic and included leaders and practitioners from schools, charities, corporate providers, community organisations, media and government, including Defra, The Department of Health and the Department of Education. The taskforce engaged with over 150 organisation and schools and used data from an independent, national survey of 1,300 schools to produce this report and recommendations. The full Food Growing in Schools Taskforce report can be found at www.gardenorganic.org.uk/foodgrowinginschools.
– The Food for Life Partnership is a Big Lottery-funded initiative, led by the Soil Association, to transform food culture in schools and communities across England, bringing together the practical expertise of the Soil Association, Garden Organic, Focus on Food Campaign, and the Health Education Trust
- The Soil Association is the UK’s leading environmental charity promoting sustainable, organic farming and championing human health.
- Garden Organic is the UK’s leading organic growing charity dedicated to researching, demonstrating and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.
- The Focus on Food Campaign is the leading food education support programme for the teaching of cooking in the UK’s primary and secondary schools.
- The Health Education Trust is the national charity dedicated to initiating and supporting work with children and young adults to encourage the growth of healthy lifestyles.
To find out more about the Food for Life Partnership visit www.foodforlife.org.uk.
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