DEVELOPING ENTERPRISING SKILLS IN YOUR SCHOOL’S GARDEN.

by Lesley Bakkers

“School gardens are about more than growing beautiful flowers and plants, they are about using the garden as an instrument to teach”.

In this ever changing world, it is vitally important that pupils are equipped with the necessary skills for a successful future.

Enterprise education is a key component of a work-related learning framework which aims to encourage young people to be more enterprising and to enhance skills which can happily sit alongside traditional academic qualifications. Furthermore, the study of business and enterprise at all levels strongly supports enterprise attributes - an important factor in developing a skilled workforce and a dynamic economy. Encouraging and developing enterprise education in schools could be beneficial to the future of the country as a whole.

''It's great making my own decisions, I like to see what I can do”
Student at Pensby Girls School

With the development of enterprise into primary schools and KS2, a school garden is one area where these skills can be very successfully fostered. Students thrive when they are given the opportunity to create new ways of doing things and designing a garden for their school gives them a sense of pride and achievement in their own abilities.

''Enterprise is different to some lessons - you're given a chance to come up with ideas, think for yourself.''
Student at St Nicholas Catholic High School.

We have been working with many schools across Cheshire during 2008 through the ‘Cheshire Year of Gardens08’ project, and the students have welcomed the chance to design a garden for their school and also to think about a small business which will work to fund the garden project. Through this enterprising activity, the pupils develop the necessary skills to handle uncertainty and respond positively to change. They have shown the skills to plan and manage, find resources, get help and support, keep in touch with those involved, organize garden work and lessons, motivate people, and even to publicise their garden achievements.

“This is awesome – I am having so much fun” – Student at Caldy Grange Boys School

Our aim has been to plant ideas in people's minds about how a garden can work, for students, teachers, their school, and their community.

(Lesley Bakkers is the Operations Director for the Enterprise & Education Alliance, working with schools in Cheshire & the North West).

For further help and information about how the garden project worked please contact Lesley Bakkers at Enterprise & Education Alliance, Cheshire. Telephone 01606.872220..

Email: eea@lanyardpartners.co.uk or lesley@lanyardpartners.co.uk