The allotment was relaunched in 2021, as part of the Raising Achievement/SEND team provision.
It has been developed to respond to the rising numbers of young people struggling with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
Over the coming years, our overall aim is to make the allotment area a place:
where teachers can take classes to work
where students, who struggle with their well-being, stress and mental health, can go to support them
where cross curriculum activities will take place, such as Science, Food Technology, Art and Life Skills
where students can come for activities during Induction days and Open Evenings.
where staff can come for INSET Days
The following photos depict:
Team Green with their “YES” award that they complete through the Papillon Project (see below for more details about this project)
Teaching areas for cross curriculum study
The Allotment has also been featured on ITV Anglia News on Thursday 14 October 2021 – here is the presentation we put together for it: ITV Presentation
If you missed the news, here is another chance to watch it – Link to video:
Team Green runs the allotment club on Mondays & Thursdays, after school between 15:05-16:10. Whilst with us you can do an array of things such has, clearing, weeding, planting of vegetables and plants, making bird feeders, boxes, hedges homes, pond creating, …. and the list goes on.
If you plan to stay with us at Thorpe St Andrew Sixth Form, you could become a member of ‘Team Green’ ; they support the running of the allotment and are a big part of it. Team Green members have their own key to support the running and maintenance of the allotment.
Throughout the week, we have certain times when Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 students are invited to come into the allotment to help support their well-being and to give them a different sense of learning.
It has really helped and supported some of our students when they feel worried or need a voice to listen too.
They sow seeds, create objects to support the allotment, maintaining and much more.
We also plan to have it open at lunchtimes where the younger students can have a different area to eat if they struggle with large numbers of people.
The Papillon Project
Aim
The Papillon Project is an educational charity that promotes sustainable living and environmental awareness for young people. It is their continued privilege to work with secondary schools and sixth-form colleges in Norfolk, to inspire young people to grow their own food for themselves and their local community. It is their very dedicated mission to help rehearse the next generation to know how to grow their own food so we can all start to live in a world that is greener and far more sustainable.
Click on the video link in the picture to find out more about the Papillon Project:
If you need to contact the Papillon Project, here is how:
In the future, for the allotment, when things get back to “normal”, we will use it as a place for:
Students to relax while having lunch with friends
A place for students to talk if they are having problems
More class subjects to use the area
Linking up camera to bird boxes and hedgehogs boxes
And maybe.. Asking BBC2 “Springwatch” to do a piece within the allotment
Interested?
If you are interested in supporting this project, we are always looking for things like, equipment, bird feeders, wood, lawnmowers, seeds, plants, pond plants, hedgehog homes, drills, wheelbarrows, compost, plant and veg food, solar lights etc.
