Pupils at Buxton Junior School have been busy cultivating their own vegetable garden, thanks to support from local company Tarmac.
The company made a donation to cover the costs of buying in compost bins, trugs, trowels, spades, forks, secateurs and loppers, water butts and gutters. Pupils have been busy harvesting the results of their June planting – including broad beans, beetroot, salad potatoes, peas, carrots, sweetcorn, cabbage and lots more.
They have eight raised beds, one per class. And since a full-size curriculum kitchen was installed in a spare classroom last year, the students have been able to go on to prepare and cook the vegetables they have grown, helping them better understand where our food comes from.
Headteacher Ros Carter said, “Our children are loving growing, cooking and eating a whole variety of vegetables, many of which they haven’t tried before. As a school, we feel it is really important that they understand about the work required to grow and prepare our food – and to have fun in the process. We are very grateful to Tarmac for helping us achieve this.”
Alex Soria, Tarmac Tunstead Cement Plant manager added: “After the challenges of lockdowns in the last 18 months it is great to see the pupils enjoying being back at school and outside. They have clearly enjoyed developing their own vegetable harvest and trying out their cooking skills. Tarmac was really pleased to be able to support this outdoor educational initiative in such a practical way.”
Picture caption: Tarmac’s Tunstead Cement Plant manager Alex Soria (back right) with Buxton Junior School pupils in their vegetable garden.