The RHS Campaign for School Gardening aims to encourage and support schools to develop and actively use a school garden.  The website contains ideas for what to do in your garden each month, downloadable resources plus lesson plans, case studies and recipes for using the vegetables you have grown.

A simple activity such as growing herbs can teach most of the basic gardening skills, and lead on to learning about food and healthy eating. Exploring the origin and uses of herbs provides interesting avenues into both history and geography, while the study of herbal aromas, or the many types of wildlife attracted to herbs, will contribute to science.

Growing plants can provide practical data for maths, real reasons for writing letters or keeping diaries to develop language skills, and inspiration for creative writing and art.

Even subjects such as citizenship can be approached through gardening; planning, developing and cultivating a garden are ideal opportunities for encouraging social responsibility and community involvement, and pupils may also learn something about local politics!

If you register your school (it’s free) you will receive a starter pack containing practical items to help you to get growing.

If you are interested in getting your pupils into gardening, you should also check out these websites:

• Gardening with Children : http://www.gardeningwithchildren.co.uk/
• The Growing Schools Garden : http://www.thegrowingschoolsgarden.org.uk/
• Growing Schools : http://www.growingschools.org.uk/
• Grow your own Potatoes : http://www.potatoesforschools.org.uk/
• Science and Plants in Schools: http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/

The BBC have launched an area of their gardening website aimed at children. There’s some nice ideas for gardening projects both indoors and outdoors. Take a look and see if any could be used with your class.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/homegrownprojects_index.shtml