At the beginning of 2021 a decision was taken to remove the old storage shed in Chaffinches Garden.  This left a rather untidy patch of earth and I felt this small plot would make a wonderful vegetable patch.  We cleared the area and with the amazing generosity of Chaffinches parents, who provided a vast selection of plants and seeds, we got planting. The children really enjoyed preparing the soil, planting the seeds and watching each day for growth.  A picket fence and garden gate were supplied by the grandparents of a member of the class which gave the garden a tidy boundary.

The Chaffinches rose to the Captain Tom 100 Challenge and completed 100 laps, each day colouring in a number square to indicate the number of laps they completed.  We raised over £300 and were able to purchase a garden bench, portable greenhouse, garden windmills, brushes, wheel barrows, garden gloves and summer bedding plants.

Our garden project provided so many learning opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum. We wrote garden labels, lists, designed a seed pack and wrote instructions for planting. In Literacy lessons the children wrote a list of items they would like to buy for their garden.  This included flowers, watering cans, a garden bench, a garden gnome and a scarecrow.  During maths we talked about and practised measuring height and capacity. The children demonstrated a good understanding of plant growth and used scientific language to label a shooting seed.

Our new Reception Class joined us in September and continue to nurture our garden.   Our sunflowers have towered over the garden fence and brought a happy smile to passers-by. To date we have harvested strawberries, runner beans, courgettes, carrots, and lots of tomatoes.   We used our fine-motor skills to chop the tomatoes and courgettes to make a Tasty Tomato Tart.  We currently have two large pumpkins growing which we plan to raffle to raise further funds for the garden to enable us to develop it further.

The project has been such a worthwhile experience for everyone at Dennington School. Thank you again for the support we received from the parents of Chaffinches Class 2020.