Latest news from the Dunkirk Discovery Garden.
We are very proud of the Dunkirk Discovery Garden; it is a continually developing and growing space which all classes use to enhance every area of their learning and well-being. The garden is at one end of the school field and we use it in a variety of ways - including forest school sessions (led by our level 3 forest school leaders), for whole class work, for clubs such as the Discovery Garden scientists and artists club, for staff training and development, for work with families and for school celebration events such as International Evening.
The Discovery Garden used to be called the allotment - but we changed the name to reflect the way we use the space. We do grow some fruit and vegetables there, but the aims of the space are to provide the school with a rich outdoor environment that enables the awe and wonder of discovering the natural world (and for this to be right on our doorstep). Its a space for reflection, for finding peace and calm, for exploring, for making things with natural materials, for sharing food, for searching for natural treasures, for learning about nature and for gathering ideas and inspirations to bring back into all other aspects of school life.
Lots more images and information are found on the pages of each class.
Miss Claire also adds information about the Discovery Garden and many other projects about engaging children with nature on her blogs: http://storiesunderstones.weebly.com/blog-latest-news and http://storiesunderstones.blogspot.co.uk/
We are very proud of the Dunkirk Discovery Garden; it is a continually developing and growing space which all classes use to enhance every area of their learning and well-being. The garden is at one end of the school field and we use it in a variety of ways - including forest school sessions (led by our level 3 forest school leaders), for whole class work, for clubs such as the Discovery Garden scientists and artists club, for staff training and development, for work with families and for school celebration events such as International Evening.
The Discovery Garden used to be called the allotment - but we changed the name to reflect the way we use the space. We do grow some fruit and vegetables there, but the aims of the space are to provide the school with a rich outdoor environment that enables the awe and wonder of discovering the natural world (and for this to be right on our doorstep). Its a space for reflection, for finding peace and calm, for exploring, for making things with natural materials, for sharing food, for searching for natural treasures, for learning about nature and for gathering ideas and inspirations to bring back into all other aspects of school life.
Lots more images and information are found on the pages of each class.
Miss Claire also adds information about the Discovery Garden and many other projects about engaging children with nature on her blogs: http://storiesunderstones.weebly.com/blog-latest-news and http://storiesunderstones.blogspot.co.uk/
Summer in the Discovery Garden
June and July 2015
Summer is upon us and its a time of year when the Discovery Garden is FULL of colour, of sounds, of scents, of insects and of SO many rich things to discover.
Its also a time when the children and staff at school can really see all the bounty brought about by the time, care and nurturing of plants and creatures that is poured into the Discovery Garden. We are able to harvest vast amounts of strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and other soft fruit, the garden is FULL of wonderful flowers, leaves and trees and we are able to find the most amazing creatures because we allow plants and habitats in which wildlife can thrive. The children learn so much from this rich environment and it provides a wonderful place in which to feel secure, inspired, safe, nurtured and in which to really find awe and wonder.
We've recently celebrated International Mud Day which saw Olive Class exploring SO many different aspects of mud. In the hottest summer days there is quite a bit of shade on the Discovery Garden which has really helped and we've also used things like ice cubes to create potions.
Wildlife is thriving and we've been entranced by mini beasts such as peacock butterfly caterpillars, frog hoppers, grasshoppers, leaf cutter bees, hoverflies, dragonflies, damselflies and newts. We have hedgehogs regularly using the Discovery Garden and this feels incredibly special because they are now endangered in the UK and need our help to create safe habitats for them.
If you click on the photos below a slightly larger image will open up with a bit of text explaining what we've been up to.
June and July 2015
Summer is upon us and its a time of year when the Discovery Garden is FULL of colour, of sounds, of scents, of insects and of SO many rich things to discover.
Its also a time when the children and staff at school can really see all the bounty brought about by the time, care and nurturing of plants and creatures that is poured into the Discovery Garden. We are able to harvest vast amounts of strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and other soft fruit, the garden is FULL of wonderful flowers, leaves and trees and we are able to find the most amazing creatures because we allow plants and habitats in which wildlife can thrive. The children learn so much from this rich environment and it provides a wonderful place in which to feel secure, inspired, safe, nurtured and in which to really find awe and wonder.
We've recently celebrated International Mud Day which saw Olive Class exploring SO many different aspects of mud. In the hottest summer days there is quite a bit of shade on the Discovery Garden which has really helped and we've also used things like ice cubes to create potions.
Wildlife is thriving and we've been entranced by mini beasts such as peacock butterfly caterpillars, frog hoppers, grasshoppers, leaf cutter bees, hoverflies, dragonflies, damselflies and newts. We have hedgehogs regularly using the Discovery Garden and this feels incredibly special because they are now endangered in the UK and need our help to create safe habitats for them.
If you click on the photos below a slightly larger image will open up with a bit of text explaining what we've been up to.
Spring is bursting out all around
April 2015.
We love using the Discovery Garden through the year and each season brings all sorts of rich learning opportunities for the children.
Sessions on the Discovery Garden enable the children to develop language and communication through the rich, tactile and diverse things they encounter and explore there. Being able to be out all year round means the children become so in tune with nature and themselves - and their learning is all areas is enhanced so deeply.
Spring brings new colours, sights, sounds, textures, smells and temperatures. The weather has been warm enough lately for children to feel able to sit and really concentrate outside and the Discovery Garden has lots of different areas where children can find space and peace to read, to write, to talk, to listen and to assimilate other things they've been learning.
If you click on the photos below they will enlarge with a little bit of text explaining just some of what has been happening lately.
Discovery Garden featured in the Wildlife Trusts MY WILDLIFE campaign...
This link will take you to the Wildlife Trusts My Wildlife Campaign section of their website, a collection of wonderful stories from people of all ages and all walks of life (including some very well know people) examining why connections with nature are crucial to us as humans. Miss Claire has written a piece about the Discovery Garden which features amongst them - its entitled "My Magical Space" and has a photo of a child's hands carefully holding a worm.
This link will take you to the Wildlife Trusts My Wildlife Campaign section of their website, a collection of wonderful stories from people of all ages and all walks of life (including some very well know people) examining why connections with nature are crucial to us as humans. Miss Claire has written a piece about the Discovery Garden which features amongst them - its entitled "My Magical Space" and has a photo of a child's hands carefully holding a worm.
Protest Art Litter Pick
Oak Class took the school litter pickers over to the Discovery Garden this week (February 26th 2015) as part of their work on the Protest Art Project with Miss Claire. We (carefully) collected as much litter as we could - and were amazed at just how much accumulates around the space that we love so much.
We found so much plastic waste - and as we've been exploring issues around things that biodegrade and things that don't, the children were all very aware that plastic doesn't rot down and of the dangers it can pose to creatures. There were cans, plastic bags, plastic bottles, sweet wrappers... even a discarded handbag...
The children had some really good thoughts about just exactly where the litter had come from - we know it's not from the school (we ensure each group using the site takes any little away with them) but a HUGE amount of it has blown down from the ring road and the footpath that runs high up along the side of the Discovery Garden. The children wondered if people threw it from cars as they drove along "if people have had a drink and they have finished with the bottle and they don't care about nature then they just chuck it..."
We've been making lots of badges, posters, animations and other artwork all exploring our ideas around waste and looking after nature. The children and staff feel so strongly about the need to care for our precious wildlife spaces...
Oak Class took the school litter pickers over to the Discovery Garden this week (February 26th 2015) as part of their work on the Protest Art Project with Miss Claire. We (carefully) collected as much litter as we could - and were amazed at just how much accumulates around the space that we love so much.
We found so much plastic waste - and as we've been exploring issues around things that biodegrade and things that don't, the children were all very aware that plastic doesn't rot down and of the dangers it can pose to creatures. There were cans, plastic bags, plastic bottles, sweet wrappers... even a discarded handbag...
The children had some really good thoughts about just exactly where the litter had come from - we know it's not from the school (we ensure each group using the site takes any little away with them) but a HUGE amount of it has blown down from the ring road and the footpath that runs high up along the side of the Discovery Garden. The children wondered if people threw it from cars as they drove along "if people have had a drink and they have finished with the bottle and they don't care about nature then they just chuck it..."
We've been making lots of badges, posters, animations and other artwork all exploring our ideas around waste and looking after nature. The children and staff feel so strongly about the need to care for our precious wildlife spaces...
Winter brings the frost and snow...
January 2015
The Discovery Garden is as full of delights in the winter as it is the rest of the year. The very recent snow brought another layer of things to explore and discover. Oak Class spent some time on the Discovery Garden carrying out various experiments and gathering information as part of their work on the Protest Art Project with Miss Claire, the snow was a delight for the children. They were fascinated by the tactile qualities of the snow and tested out lots of ways of building with it, they searched for animal and bird tracks, they looked for ways that small creatures kept themselves safe and warm in the cold weather and they really enjoyed the chance for a reflective chatter about what they had found with a cup of hot chocolate!
January 2015
The Discovery Garden is as full of delights in the winter as it is the rest of the year. The very recent snow brought another layer of things to explore and discover. Oak Class spent some time on the Discovery Garden carrying out various experiments and gathering information as part of their work on the Protest Art Project with Miss Claire, the snow was a delight for the children. They were fascinated by the tactile qualities of the snow and tested out lots of ways of building with it, they searched for animal and bird tracks, they looked for ways that small creatures kept themselves safe and warm in the cold weather and they really enjoyed the chance for a reflective chatter about what they had found with a cup of hot chocolate!
Autumn 2014 - reds, yellows and golds...
November 2041
Its been a warm, colourful autumn so far on the Discovery Garden and the children have been finding so many wonderful natural treasures. Regular sessions are taking place with many classes and it means that in their weekly sessions the children really notice changes and detail in the natural world - their discoveries, their language, their levels of enquiry and their emotional and social development are so wonderful to see.
Amongst other things we've recently collected a host of sounds from the Discovery Garden to create soundscapes for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory show at Highfields Campus. Palm Class were so inventive and creative as the peeled away layers of the garden to unearth the multitude of sound possibilities. We took different digital recorders with us and were able to capture sounds of the trees, of stones, of voices outside, of the school waterproofs and so much more.
As the weather is now colder we take out warm drinks with us - usually hot chocolate and hot fruit juice, the children really value the opportunity to share a warm snack and talk about the things they've been working on. We share this snack towards the end of sessions as an opportunity for reflection and to plan together our next sessions.
November 2041
Its been a warm, colourful autumn so far on the Discovery Garden and the children have been finding so many wonderful natural treasures. Regular sessions are taking place with many classes and it means that in their weekly sessions the children really notice changes and detail in the natural world - their discoveries, their language, their levels of enquiry and their emotional and social development are so wonderful to see.
Amongst other things we've recently collected a host of sounds from the Discovery Garden to create soundscapes for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory show at Highfields Campus. Palm Class were so inventive and creative as the peeled away layers of the garden to unearth the multitude of sound possibilities. We took different digital recorders with us and were able to capture sounds of the trees, of stones, of voices outside, of the school waterproofs and so much more.
As the weather is now colder we take out warm drinks with us - usually hot chocolate and hot fruit juice, the children really value the opportunity to share a warm snack and talk about the things they've been working on. We share this snack towards the end of sessions as an opportunity for reflection and to plan together our next sessions.
Late September 2014 - new instruments, new plants and many, many explorations...
Several classes have been very busy in the Discovery Garden, regular sessions are underway and so much is being discovered. The photos below give a little taste of some recent explorations. Children have planted some vegetables in the two beds which parents helped us prepare in July, the new instruments are causing much excitement, so many creatures are around for the children to discover and be fascinated by, clay is being used with plants to make all kinds of imaginative creatures and so very much more.
One of the wonderful things we notice time and time again with classes is the way children will eagerly find themselves a quiet spot to sit and contemplate in small groups - there are so many places on the Discovery garden where they can relax and find calmness. We always have books available as well as paints and writing resources and children often will select to sit under a tree and watch the natural world and read, paint and share ideas. The conversations that take place are incredibly rich - prompted by the things the children notice; for example a recent session with Cedar Class saw the children utterly transfixed by all the leaf galls on the willow trees - and (outside) they looked these up in the books we keep there and eagerly shared their discoveries with each other. Back in class they plan to do further research into leaf galls and create some information sheets for the Discovery Garden.
Several classes have been very busy in the Discovery Garden, regular sessions are underway and so much is being discovered. The photos below give a little taste of some recent explorations. Children have planted some vegetables in the two beds which parents helped us prepare in July, the new instruments are causing much excitement, so many creatures are around for the children to discover and be fascinated by, clay is being used with plants to make all kinds of imaginative creatures and so very much more.
One of the wonderful things we notice time and time again with classes is the way children will eagerly find themselves a quiet spot to sit and contemplate in small groups - there are so many places on the Discovery garden where they can relax and find calmness. We always have books available as well as paints and writing resources and children often will select to sit under a tree and watch the natural world and read, paint and share ideas. The conversations that take place are incredibly rich - prompted by the things the children notice; for example a recent session with Cedar Class saw the children utterly transfixed by all the leaf galls on the willow trees - and (outside) they looked these up in the books we keep there and eagerly shared their discoveries with each other. Back in class they plan to do further research into leaf galls and create some information sheets for the Discovery Garden.
Early September 2014 - wonderful tiny discoveries...
Its always great to get back to the Discovery Garden after a school holiday and see what has developed and changed in the time we've been away. Early September feels like a wonderful time with rich sun and that feeling of warmth with a hint of autumn in the air! We've been working on various parts of the Discovery Garden and construction is underway of a stand for the instruments made by the children. We were delighted yesterday to find a tiny newt under a log as we worked - such an exciting resident of the garden! Its a young newt - and maybe there are more of them about. We love our wildlife friendly pond and being so close to the canal really helps with all the wetland creatures that we find in the Discovery Garden.
There are so many grasshoppers and crickets about at the moment too - and such a variety of colours and sizes. You can hear them constantly - but to see them you have to be very quiet and patient - then suddenly you can see many of them hopping about or basking in the sun. Bees, butterflies and many other insects are very busy and we have lots of flowers grown to be available for pollinating insects now. Several kinds of dragonflies are easily visible flying about the pond and over the whole garden as they hunt for food.
There are lots of wonderful berries around too - raspberries, blackberries and elderberries especially. Birds are busy there too - a jay was flying in and out of the hedgerow yesterday whilst we worked, mistle thrushes and starlings are busy there and a sparrowhawk is seen most days.
Its always great to get back to the Discovery Garden after a school holiday and see what has developed and changed in the time we've been away. Early September feels like a wonderful time with rich sun and that feeling of warmth with a hint of autumn in the air! We've been working on various parts of the Discovery Garden and construction is underway of a stand for the instruments made by the children. We were delighted yesterday to find a tiny newt under a log as we worked - such an exciting resident of the garden! Its a young newt - and maybe there are more of them about. We love our wildlife friendly pond and being so close to the canal really helps with all the wetland creatures that we find in the Discovery Garden.
There are so many grasshoppers and crickets about at the moment too - and such a variety of colours and sizes. You can hear them constantly - but to see them you have to be very quiet and patient - then suddenly you can see many of them hopping about or basking in the sun. Bees, butterflies and many other insects are very busy and we have lots of flowers grown to be available for pollinating insects now. Several kinds of dragonflies are easily visible flying about the pond and over the whole garden as they hunt for food.
There are lots of wonderful berries around too - raspberries, blackberries and elderberries especially. Birds are busy there too - a jay was flying in and out of the hedgerow yesterday whilst we worked, mistle thrushes and starlings are busy there and a sparrowhawk is seen most days.
July brings bees, butterflies, blackberries - and a wonderful team of people to add mulch
July 2014 has seen so much to discover in the garden - plants and wildlife are thriving and the children have been learning so much. We are incredibly grateful to the wonderful team of parents who came and helped out in the last week of term - on a really hot day - to dig and move the huge pile of soil and bark chippings which had been donated to us. THANK YOU it would have been impossible without your help and we really value parents involvement so much, it makes all the work feel that a community of us are developing the space.
July 2014 has seen so much to discover in the garden - plants and wildlife are thriving and the children have been learning so much. We are incredibly grateful to the wonderful team of parents who came and helped out in the last week of term - on a really hot day - to dig and move the huge pile of soil and bark chippings which had been donated to us. THANK YOU it would have been impossible without your help and we really value parents involvement so much, it makes all the work feel that a community of us are developing the space.
July arrives in the Discovery Garden
Its now July 2014 and things are growing so well, with so many insects and small creatures thriving - there's so much to discover... We've been busily harvesting huge bowlfuls of strawberries on every visit, as well as raspberries, red currants, black currants and gooseberries. More dragonflies have been emerging from the pond - a different species from the previous one! We've also spotted damselflies laying their eggs in the pond, so we're very excited about the thriving habitat this all provides.
As various plants grow tall there are so many wonderful pathways for the children to explore - and the younger children especially feel hidden in a secret world as they discover "dinosaur footprints" and so much more...
Its now July 2014 and things are growing so well, with so many insects and small creatures thriving - there's so much to discover... We've been busily harvesting huge bowlfuls of strawberries on every visit, as well as raspberries, red currants, black currants and gooseberries. More dragonflies have been emerging from the pond - a different species from the previous one! We've also spotted damselflies laying their eggs in the pond, so we're very excited about the thriving habitat this all provides.
As various plants grow tall there are so many wonderful pathways for the children to explore - and the younger children especially feel hidden in a secret world as they discover "dinosaur footprints" and so much more...
Summer is here
All the seasons are wonderful on the Discovery Garden and we welcome each new one as it arrives. Its great to have summer here as there is now an abundance of soft fruit, interesting flowers, amazing insects and so much more to discover.
All the seasons are wonderful on the Discovery Garden and we welcome each new one as it arrives. Its great to have summer here as there is now an abundance of soft fruit, interesting flowers, amazing insects and so much more to discover.
Dragons emerge from the pond...
April 30th 2014.
We are SO lucky to have such a special place at school, we find so many interesting things in the Discovery Garden and it gives the children such rich learning experiences. Today Oak Class were lucky enough to witness a host of dragonfly larvae crawl out of the pond, climb tall stems nearby and then slowly emerge from their shells as newly hatched dragonflies. Magical! The children were transfixed, as were the adults!
The Discovery Garden Scientists Club also saw the same amazing process yesterday, which is wonderful that so many children have had a chance to see this. More photos to follow - we counted at least 30 of them today, which feels very special. We've been in touch with the British Dragonfly Society who have kindly confirmed for us that they are broad bodied chasers (which are frequently the first dragonflies to colonise a new pond and the larvae live in the mud at the bottom of the pond for 1 or 2 years).
Oak Class were making bread in the cob oven and cooking damper bread on the fire - which all felt wonderful and the dragonflies were an added amazing additional discovery!
Here's the link to the British Dragonfly Society website page about broad bodied chasers which will tell you lots more. Its a great website with some wonderful images and information.
April 30th 2014.
We are SO lucky to have such a special place at school, we find so many interesting things in the Discovery Garden and it gives the children such rich learning experiences. Today Oak Class were lucky enough to witness a host of dragonfly larvae crawl out of the pond, climb tall stems nearby and then slowly emerge from their shells as newly hatched dragonflies. Magical! The children were transfixed, as were the adults!
The Discovery Garden Scientists Club also saw the same amazing process yesterday, which is wonderful that so many children have had a chance to see this. More photos to follow - we counted at least 30 of them today, which feels very special. We've been in touch with the British Dragonfly Society who have kindly confirmed for us that they are broad bodied chasers (which are frequently the first dragonflies to colonise a new pond and the larvae live in the mud at the bottom of the pond for 1 or 2 years).
Oak Class were making bread in the cob oven and cooking damper bread on the fire - which all felt wonderful and the dragonflies were an added amazing additional discovery!
Here's the link to the British Dragonfly Society website page about broad bodied chasers which will tell you lots more. Its a great website with some wonderful images and information.
Late March 2014.
There's some wonderful signs of spring all over the Discovery Garden and the hedgerows around the site at the moment. There were even signs of Gruffalos last week... Willow Class and their families enjoyed owl ice cream, roast fox and they also made Gruffalo Crumble as they built dens and searched for signs of Gruffalo footprints...
Birds are busy all around the site and we have lots of interesting visitors because we are so close to the canal and the other wildlife friendly areas nearby. The Discovery Garden is used all the time by so many birds including blackbirds, mistle thrushes, blue tits, wood pigeons, long tailed tits, goldfinch, black headed gulls, collared doves, dunnocks and a sparrowhawk... we even see a buzzard overhead occasionally... which is all wonderful considering we are right next to the ring road and so close to the city centre.
The bulbs planted by Oak Class last autumn are all emerging and the trees the class also planted are now all in bud and we've been enjoying looking at all the different types of buds and wondering exactly what will unfurl...
There's some wonderful signs of spring all over the Discovery Garden and the hedgerows around the site at the moment. There were even signs of Gruffalos last week... Willow Class and their families enjoyed owl ice cream, roast fox and they also made Gruffalo Crumble as they built dens and searched for signs of Gruffalo footprints...
Birds are busy all around the site and we have lots of interesting visitors because we are so close to the canal and the other wildlife friendly areas nearby. The Discovery Garden is used all the time by so many birds including blackbirds, mistle thrushes, blue tits, wood pigeons, long tailed tits, goldfinch, black headed gulls, collared doves, dunnocks and a sparrowhawk... we even see a buzzard overhead occasionally... which is all wonderful considering we are right next to the ring road and so close to the city centre.
The bulbs planted by Oak Class last autumn are all emerging and the trees the class also planted are now all in bud and we've been enjoying looking at all the different types of buds and wondering exactly what will unfurl...
Early March 2014.
Spring seems to be showing signs of emerging all around us...
Bulbs are pushing through the soil and bursting into flower, buds are on the trees, shoots of new plants are coming through the soil and insects are busy in the sunny spots of the garden. Its wonderful to have the opportunities for children to see how seeds and bulbs planted months ago now begin to burst into life. We've also planted lots more living willow and we're watching that to see what happens.
The pond looks as though lots of water snails and other insects are thriving, which is really exciting. Some of the instruments made by Cedar class are hanging up and we plan to soon build a structure to support the others they created. We can now get busy planting seeds in the poly tunnel and planning crops.
Spring seems to be showing signs of emerging all around us...
Bulbs are pushing through the soil and bursting into flower, buds are on the trees, shoots of new plants are coming through the soil and insects are busy in the sunny spots of the garden. Its wonderful to have the opportunities for children to see how seeds and bulbs planted months ago now begin to burst into life. We've also planted lots more living willow and we're watching that to see what happens.
The pond looks as though lots of water snails and other insects are thriving, which is really exciting. Some of the instruments made by Cedar class are hanging up and we plan to soon build a structure to support the others they created. We can now get busy planting seeds in the poly tunnel and planning crops.
January 2014.
Its been a mild and wet winter so far... so different from last year. We've not yet had the snow and ice that provided so much exciting explorations last January but we have found a very different set of things to discover. There are already signs of early spring with the hazel trees covered in catkins, birds singing (we have so many birds visiting), bulb shoots peeping through the soil and many insects very visible.
Classes have been very busy out there exploring and the school waterproofs have been very much appreciated in the wet weather. Miss Claire has also had an art student on placement with her for a few months and together they've been clearing some of the raised beds, and thistles as well as sorting out lots of the resources that the children use.
Cedar class have begun to make fantastic some outdoor instruments for the Discovery Garden and they've done a wonderful job sawing, cutting andf testing out ideas with big logs, plastic drain pipes and wooden spoons and bats (amongst other things).
Palm have been exploring making all sorts of potions, houses, insect homes and so much more - their exploration and imaginative work has been really wonderful.
Oak have been busy collecting seeds ready to plant in spring, making their own chairs and cooking on the fire with Miss Claire. They've gathered some really fantastic ideas and their language has been so rich as they discover things outside.
Its been a mild and wet winter so far... so different from last year. We've not yet had the snow and ice that provided so much exciting explorations last January but we have found a very different set of things to discover. There are already signs of early spring with the hazel trees covered in catkins, birds singing (we have so many birds visiting), bulb shoots peeping through the soil and many insects very visible.
Classes have been very busy out there exploring and the school waterproofs have been very much appreciated in the wet weather. Miss Claire has also had an art student on placement with her for a few months and together they've been clearing some of the raised beds, and thistles as well as sorting out lots of the resources that the children use.
Cedar class have begun to make fantastic some outdoor instruments for the Discovery Garden and they've done a wonderful job sawing, cutting andf testing out ideas with big logs, plastic drain pipes and wooden spoons and bats (amongst other things).
Palm have been exploring making all sorts of potions, houses, insect homes and so much more - their exploration and imaginative work has been really wonderful.
Oak have been busy collecting seeds ready to plant in spring, making their own chairs and cooking on the fire with Miss Claire. They've gathered some really fantastic ideas and their language has been so rich as they discover things outside.
September 2013
We’re really excited by the developments in the Discovery Garden and everyone has been excited to get back there after the summer break and see what has changed and emerged… Its also wonderful that not only do the children love the Discovery Garden but some of their smaller cuddly friends have been having a picnic there too…
We’re really excited by the developments in the Discovery Garden and everyone has been excited to get back there after the summer break and see what has changed and emerged… Its also wonderful that not only do the children love the Discovery Garden but some of their smaller cuddly friends have been having a picnic there too…
July 12th 2013.
Its almost the end of the summer term and we have been really enjoying the fruits of the Discovery Garden. We’ve had a huge crop of strawberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries as well as sugar snap peas. The strawberries have been wonderful to pick and eat there and then and we’ve had enough for several classes to enjoy. Willow Class made some gorgeous blackcurrant scones from a huge crop that they picked as well as enjoying lots of the peas they had grown from seed.
Flowers are blooming well – we’ve tried to plant things that will not need too much watering and will cope in our soil. We’ve put in lots of wildflower seed this year too and that’s all doing well. We try to grow as much as possible for wildlife and its so wonderful to see all the insects, birds and other creatures this brings in. The children love to explore and discover all the creatures there are to find in the Garden and it’s a wonderful way of looking at how we respect and care for each other and the world around us.
We have found at least two small bees nests tucked away in corners of the Discovery Garden and one of these we think might be a leaf-cutter bee, which is a really intriguing creature.
The Discovery Garden Scientists club are carrying out surveys on the creatures that live in and use the garden, which will build up a brilliant picture of the eco-systems there.
Its almost the end of the summer term and we have been really enjoying the fruits of the Discovery Garden. We’ve had a huge crop of strawberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries as well as sugar snap peas. The strawberries have been wonderful to pick and eat there and then and we’ve had enough for several classes to enjoy. Willow Class made some gorgeous blackcurrant scones from a huge crop that they picked as well as enjoying lots of the peas they had grown from seed.
Flowers are blooming well – we’ve tried to plant things that will not need too much watering and will cope in our soil. We’ve put in lots of wildflower seed this year too and that’s all doing well. We try to grow as much as possible for wildlife and its so wonderful to see all the insects, birds and other creatures this brings in. The children love to explore and discover all the creatures there are to find in the Garden and it’s a wonderful way of looking at how we respect and care for each other and the world around us.
We have found at least two small bees nests tucked away in corners of the Discovery Garden and one of these we think might be a leaf-cutter bee, which is a really intriguing creature.
The Discovery Garden Scientists club are carrying out surveys on the creatures that live in and use the garden, which will build up a brilliant picture of the eco-systems there.
Discovery Garden July 2013.
We loved being able to celebrate International Evening in the Discovery Garden, thanks so much to everybody who came to visit us there. We had wonderful conversations with so many people about all the work we are doing to develop the space – and also the Nature Garden. The Cob Oven was lit and we loved all the discussions we had about clay ovens around the world, it’s really sparked a wonderful talking point.
In the couple of days leading up to International Evening Maple Class had created bunting and banners for the garden and Palm Class had made a host of little clay creatures which they had hidden around the space. Palm also wrote and drew notes on little luggage tabs and hid these too.
The cob oven is fired up for the first time…
June 2013.
We used the cob oven this week for the first time with Oak class – very exciting!
We’d had some really sunny and dry weather but we knew that the oven was going to still need a lot of drying out time, so we weren’t sure how the first fire would go… It was an exciting
experimental process and part of the discovery of getting to know the oven! We had the oven lit all day and it did take at least three hours to get hot enough to begin to cook bread. By the end of the day the oven was cooking the little bread rolls really well.
Oak had a day in the Discovery Garden / school field, which we’d planned so several things could be happening in parallel. Miss Claire fired up the oven with some children (they sorted and cut wood and looked at how the oven was used). Miss Loach made bread with groups throughout the day, ready to cook in the oven. Mr Woodings worked with groups to build rockets from old carbonated drinks bottles, which were then test-launched with a foot-pump - as the class have been exploring the question of “how things move” and also recently been looking at space.
There were really interesting discussions amongst the children. The rockets worked really well, some went incredibly high and it was wonderful to have that happening whilst we cooked. We needed the space to do all this; the field and Discovery Garden are perfect.
The class had begun the day with a wonderful telling of the Little Red Hen story, and it was great to see how many wonderful discussions, stories and vocabulary emerged throughout the day as the children made bread, cooked and tested out their rockets. Excellent combinations!
We used the cob oven this week for the first time with Oak class – very exciting!
We’d had some really sunny and dry weather but we knew that the oven was going to still need a lot of drying out time, so we weren’t sure how the first fire would go… It was an exciting
experimental process and part of the discovery of getting to know the oven! We had the oven lit all day and it did take at least three hours to get hot enough to begin to cook bread. By the end of the day the oven was cooking the little bread rolls really well.
Oak had a day in the Discovery Garden / school field, which we’d planned so several things could be happening in parallel. Miss Claire fired up the oven with some children (they sorted and cut wood and looked at how the oven was used). Miss Loach made bread with groups throughout the day, ready to cook in the oven. Mr Woodings worked with groups to build rockets from old carbonated drinks bottles, which were then test-launched with a foot-pump - as the class have been exploring the question of “how things move” and also recently been looking at space.
There were really interesting discussions amongst the children. The rockets worked really well, some went incredibly high and it was wonderful to have that happening whilst we cooked. We needed the space to do all this; the field and Discovery Garden are perfect.
The class had begun the day with a wonderful telling of the Little Red Hen story, and it was great to see how many wonderful discussions, stories and vocabulary emerged throughout the day as the children made bread, cooked and tested out their rockets. Excellent combinations!
Cob Oven gets underway - June 2013
We are so excited to have been building our cob oven this week. It’s a really exciting development on the Discovery Garden and all year groups (and staff) have been involved in creating it.
Miss Lisa and Miss Claire learnt all about cob building at the Derbyshire Eco Centre a couple of years ago when they took part in building the cob oven there. Ever since we’ve been itching to get one built in school.
Cob is an amazing building technique; its used all around the world and has been used for centuries.
It’s a mix of clay, sand and straw which is compacted to form dense layers in the wall of the structure you are creating. Cob bread (or pizza) ovens have become a more common site recently in all sorts of places (we know of several in Nottingham) but cob is also used to create buildings, sculptures and outdoor features such as benches.
Our cob oven on the Discovery Garden is intended to complement the cooking that we do on the fire there – but also ALL the wonderful cooking that takes place throughout school. Creating and sharing food together is a key thing and it touches all of us.
The entire school have been involved in building the Dunkirk oven, all classes from both campuses have come along at various points and got stuck in. Its meant that every child and adult has had an input and thereby forms a connection with the oven.
The oven got underway on Tuesday (June 4th) with years 5 and 6 creating a sand former whilst also mixing up the cob with their feet. The sand former become covered in more and more layers of cob as the week went on - each layer has a different combination of clay / sand and then also straw in the last layers. We finished with a “plaster” layer of cob and the doorway was cut out. The oven is almost done – the last task is now to remove the sand former! When it feels dry enough (hopefully next week), the sand will be removed, leaving a void which becomes the oven space.
Its been an amazing project. We have left the oven to begin to dry over the weekend – and we hope that we will be able to remove the sand former next week… Fingers crossed then, that the cob oven holds up by itself when the sand is removed! We are really excited to start cooking with it and have lots of plans for various breads, pizzas and more. We had wonderful suggestions for recipes and we really look forward to compiling a cob oven cook-book in which families can input lots of ideas.
See also Claire’s blog for more information about the cob build.
Things are growing…
Despite the very late spring, things are growing fast in the Discovery Garden. We are also busy preparing
to create a Cob (clay) Oven in the week following half term.
Bees are busy everywhere now, so we hope they will be able to pollinate the various fruit and vegetable plants we have growing. Oak have filled one of the new raised beds with soil and are getting to
ready to plant this up in the next couple of weeks – the class did an amazing job digging, mixing and transporting soil and compost from one side of the garden to the other, it was brilliant team work. Have a look at their class curriculum page.
The pond is teeming with life and we are all really excited by what we’ve seen there – no frogs yet but we are sure they will find it (especially as its already been found by a couple of ducks!). Its wonderful to have the pond as a space for contemplation as well as observation of wildlife – its such a vibrant eco-system and the children (and adults) are fascinated by the world in miniature that is inside the pond!
The pond also is proving vital in the study of water, conservation and habitats. Cedar Class have used it lots in their work on the WET project (see their class page) and they’ve carried out various experiments such as measuring the pond water temperature and how this relates to the amount of life there.
The Cob Oven will be built by all classes in the week after half term and then we hope everyone will be able to enjoy using it – it should really complement all the cooking we do on the fire. Cob is a wonderful – and very old – building technique used around the world. It’s a mixture of mud, sand and straw which binds together to form an incredibly strong wall. We have had a wonderful hoard of bricks donated for the base of the oven (thanks Ms Hopper) and that fits wonderfully with our ethos of re-using things and making our own things. Mark Lee (from Abbey Campus) is doing a wonderful job building the base and we are excited to get mixing the clay with the children next week and building the actual oven.
May 16th 2013. Digging galore!
We were very lucky this week to have a brilliant team of volunteers from Experian come along and spend the day with us doing an amazing job of digging and making raised beds. The wonderful team spent the day with us on Wednesday 15th May, with a group also working really hard at Abbey Campus digging and planting there. We are incredibly grateful to them – they all turned up with a vast load of gardening tools and were ready to get really stuck in, they worked so hard and were really interested in everything happening outside at Dunkirk.
They have helped to make a huge leap forward in the Discovery Garden – they’ve made two wonderful raised beds and dug over a vast area which had been thickly covered with self-seeded things such as nettles, fat hen and thistles (we love those plants but we have another area dedicated to them and the area Experian dug can now be planted up by different classes and used for many things). Willow have already worked with Miss Claire to plant an area of wildflower seed in a section of the newly dug space and we look forward to many more things being able to grow there. Huge thanks to everyone at Experian who gave us their time and did such a brilliant job – we look forward to being able to share tales of what grows and develops in the raised beds and dug area.
Spring firmly gets underway in the Discovery
Garden. May 16th 2013
It really feels exciting to watch things grow and emerge – the children and staff are finding so much and all sorts of things are revealing themselves. The pond is really bursting into life and its brilliant to see just how much has made itself at home there – the plants we put in are really growing well now and the pond is
alive with water snails, pond skaters, many water beetles and other things that we are watching closely. We are in the process of planting some other things around the edges of the pond
and we hope too that the log piles we’ve made around the edges will help give shelter to small creatures.
Shoots, leaves and flowers are all emerging and growing fast on other plants all around the garden. We have so much more still to get planted but it’s wonderful to see things growing well. All the wildlife friendly plants we put in last year seem to be doing ok – we put in lots of perennials so they will keep returning and will spread out. The willow domes seem to be growing (and we’ve needed all the recent rain to really help them) and the honeysuckle and clematis growing through them are looking good.
Willow Class have planted some peas in one of the raised beds and more vegetables are on their way from other classes. Maple Class have also made an area of bee-friendly plants as part of their topic about creatures – they’ve been doing lots of work exploring what different creatures might need to keep them safe and well. The polytunnel is all finished too and we have now got seeds planted inside, which really makes it feel a great functioning space.
alive with water snails, pond skaters, many water beetles and other things that we are watching closely. We are in the process of planting some other things around the edges of the pond
and we hope too that the log piles we’ve made around the edges will help give shelter to small creatures.
Shoots, leaves and flowers are all emerging and growing fast on other plants all around the garden. We have so much more still to get planted but it’s wonderful to see things growing well. All the wildlife friendly plants we put in last year seem to be doing ok – we put in lots of perennials so they will keep returning and will spread out. The willow domes seem to be growing (and we’ve needed all the recent rain to really help them) and the honeysuckle and clematis growing through them are looking good.
Willow Class have planted some peas in one of the raised beds and more vegetables are on their way from other classes. Maple Class have also made an area of bee-friendly plants as part of their topic about creatures – they’ve been doing lots of work exploring what different creatures might need to keep them safe and well. The polytunnel is all finished too and we have now got seeds planted inside, which really makes it feel a great functioning space.
Welcome to the Discovery Garden
April 2013: Dunkirk Allotment a has new name! We are really pleased that spring is firmly here and everything is bursting into life; we are beginning to plant new things and new developments are taking place - with that in mind we wanted a new name for the allotment.
The space has always been a place for growing vegetables and fruit (and we are firmly committed to that), but it is so much more as well…. Calling it “the allotment” didn’t quite convey exactly what really
happens there – it's a place of explorations with nature, a place of stories, a place of contemplations and a place were you can learn so much. So, we asked all the children in school to think of ideas for a new
name. They came up with some fantastic ideas and it was really hard to pick one – but in the end we have decided upon Discovery Garden (the land of many things). We will also have different names for each of the areas within the Discovery Garden (such as the pond, the willow domes, the herb garden, the fire circle etc).
The space has always been a place for growing vegetables and fruit (and we are firmly committed to that), but it is so much more as well…. Calling it “the allotment” didn’t quite convey exactly what really
happens there – it's a place of explorations with nature, a place of stories, a place of contemplations and a place were you can learn so much. So, we asked all the children in school to think of ideas for a new
name. They came up with some fantastic ideas and it was really hard to pick one – but in the end we have decided upon Discovery Garden (the land of many things). We will also have different names for each of the areas within the Discovery Garden (such as the pond, the willow domes, the herb garden, the fire circle etc).
Recent finds
March 2013.
Feathers, potions, ice, a frozen pond, snow, logs, sticks, stones, snails… and more snow… We’ve been finding so many
interesting things for stories, songs and poems…
Feathers, potions, ice, a frozen pond, snow, logs, sticks, stones, snails… and more snow… We’ve been finding so many
interesting things for stories, songs and poems…
Snow and ice... footprints and icicles...
Jan 2013.
Its cold out there! The ice leaves beautiful patterns on the seed-heads of the plants and creates a frosty white landscape on the allotment. We also leave seed-heads up as a refuge for small creatures who might crawl into stems and other nooks and crannies. Seeds of plants like teasel are an excellent food source for
birds.
Oak class have carried out an excellent experiment into insulation and hot chocolate
see their page here.
Its cold out there! The ice leaves beautiful patterns on the seed-heads of the plants and creates a frosty white landscape on the allotment. We also leave seed-heads up as a refuge for small creatures who might crawl into stems and other nooks and crannies. Seeds of plants like teasel are an excellent food source for
birds.
Oak class have carried out an excellent experiment into insulation and hot chocolate
see their page here.
When it's cold we love hot chocolate!
December 2012
Palm and Oak have been undertaking some wonderful explorations recently and have been incredibly inspired by the ice and frost. The children have been asking really amazing questions, which are all being gathered to help plan our investigations next term.
We love to be out in all weathers, and on cold days we adorn extra layers and take out flasks of hot chocolate and hot blackcurrant juice. We stay outside for a shorter time and make sure we keep moving. The children learn so much –
demonstrated by the depth of their observations and questions. Below is a little film of Palm listening to ice and making ice potions.
Palm and Oak have been undertaking some wonderful explorations recently and have been incredibly inspired by the ice and frost. The children have been asking really amazing questions, which are all being gathered to help plan our investigations next term.
We love to be out in all weathers, and on cold days we adorn extra layers and take out flasks of hot chocolate and hot blackcurrant juice. We stay outside for a shorter time and make sure we keep moving. The children learn so much –
demonstrated by the depth of their observations and questions. Below is a little film of Palm listening to ice and making ice potions.
The polytunnel goes up
December 2012
We are so grateful to the team of parents who helped to get the poly-tunnel up recently – they did a brilliant job. It was a really cold day and several parents came along to help, it was
brilliant to have such enthusiastic and practical help. Oak Class sent along a team of film-makers to record the work.
We are so grateful to the team of parents who helped to get the poly-tunnel up recently – they did a brilliant job. It was a really cold day and several parents came along to help, it was
brilliant to have such enthusiastic and practical help. Oak Class sent along a team of film-makers to record the work.
Ice all around us
December 2012 - the pond has frozen...
It's been incredibly inspiring lately to hear the questions the children are asking; they ask questions all the time; and at the moment we are gathering ideas with them as we plan what they would like to explore next term. Water, in various forms, keeps cropping up. The freezing weather has prompted some wonderful questions -they notice all the changes around them and are so eager for hands-on exploration.
Explorations on the allotment in the cold prompted wonderful questions and discussions. The children were fascinated by the ice but also curious about the creatures living in the pond and how they felt. The children were really interested in the ball left on the water as a means of air getting into the pond. It also led to some really important health and safety discussions about ice.
They were really interested in the frost on the leaves and the different colours, patterns and shapes this brought out. They were really amazed by leaves "glued" together by ice! They also drew into the ice and frost where they could find to do so... Ice on hands with and without gloves prompted really good questions – they noticed how ice began to melt when you held it and were so interested in how ice kept
changing…
It's been incredibly inspiring lately to hear the questions the children are asking; they ask questions all the time; and at the moment we are gathering ideas with them as we plan what they would like to explore next term. Water, in various forms, keeps cropping up. The freezing weather has prompted some wonderful questions -they notice all the changes around them and are so eager for hands-on exploration.
Explorations on the allotment in the cold prompted wonderful questions and discussions. The children were fascinated by the ice but also curious about the creatures living in the pond and how they felt. The children were really interested in the ball left on the water as a means of air getting into the pond. It also led to some really important health and safety discussions about ice.
They were really interested in the frost on the leaves and the different colours, patterns and shapes this brought out. They were really amazed by leaves "glued" together by ice! They also drew into the ice and frost where they could find to do so... Ice on hands with and without gloves prompted really good questions – they noticed how ice began to melt when you held it and were so interested in how ice kept
changing…
Recent finds...
November 2012
Magic beans... mini dragon eggs?
What might they be? The children have found lots of these recently on the allotment and have been creating wonderful
stories as they come up with theories, ideas and suggestions…
(Last years Oak Class had a very successful crop!). The children also found a willow leaf gall –they were intrigued by who or what might be living inside…
Magic beans... mini dragon eggs?
What might they be? The children have found lots of these recently on the allotment and have been creating wonderful
stories as they come up with theories, ideas and suggestions…
(Last years Oak Class had a very successful crop!). The children also found a willow leaf gall –they were intrigued by who or what might be living inside…
Autumn all around us
October 2012
Autumn has surrounded us with rich colours, smells, sounds and treasures. We’ve been loving our explorations outside and finding so many interesting natural things. Cedar made clay models inspired by looking at the Mexican Day of the Dead
festival. Oak have been collecting leaves and making stop frame animations - and creating patterns inspired by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy. Palm have been making potions inspired by reading ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ by Roald Dahl. A
small autumn witch also came to explore…
We’ve loved watching how busy the worms have been! There was a wonderful area of fallen leaves – all being taken down into the soil by the worms – the children were really fascinated by this.
Autumn has surrounded us with rich colours, smells, sounds and treasures. We’ve been loving our explorations outside and finding so many interesting natural things. Cedar made clay models inspired by looking at the Mexican Day of the Dead
festival. Oak have been collecting leaves and making stop frame animations - and creating patterns inspired by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy. Palm have been making potions inspired by reading ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ by Roald Dahl. A
small autumn witch also came to explore…
We’ve loved watching how busy the worms have been! There was a wonderful area of fallen leaves – all being taken down into the soil by the worms – the children were really fascinated by this.
The pond is finished
October 2012
Banyan Class have done a wonderful job finishing the pond.
It was dug in the spring but, being one of several jobs we were working on, it has only just had the lining, plants and finishing touches added. There’s a little more to do, but it’s
almost there!
We were delighted when the heavy rain came at exactly the right time – and we were able to collect enough rain-water to fill the pond! The children have planted up the pond with a selection of plants which we have chosen to attract wildlife and provide a good habitat for a whole range of creatures. We can’t wait to see what moves in!
Banyan Class have done a wonderful job finishing the pond.
It was dug in the spring but, being one of several jobs we were working on, it has only just had the lining, plants and finishing touches added. There’s a little more to do, but it’s
almost there!
We were delighted when the heavy rain came at exactly the right time – and we were able to collect enough rain-water to fill the pond! The children have planted up the pond with a selection of plants which we have chosen to attract wildlife and provide a good habitat for a whole range of creatures. We can’t wait to see what moves in!
Welcome to the mini-beast mansion
October 2012
We’ve begun to make a mini-beast mansion near to our pond…
who will move in?
Several classes have worked on this, and it complements the beautifully made insect hotel in the Nature Garden, made a year ago by Oak.
We leave lots of nooks and crannies around the allotment to provide a rich habitat for small creatures – in turn this gives the children a really rich learning environment.
We’ve begun to make a mini-beast mansion near to our pond…
who will move in?
Several classes have worked on this, and it complements the beautifully made insect hotel in the Nature Garden, made a year ago by Oak.
We leave lots of nooks and crannies around the allotment to provide a rich habitat for small creatures – in turn this gives the children a really rich learning environment.
Late summer / early autumn and the allotment is filled with amazing creatures...
September 2012.
We were so excited to see all the plants and creatures on the allotment when term began again in September. There was an amazing array of dragonflies everywhere – we are lucky to be
really close to various watery wildlife habitats such as the canal, the River Leen, Highfields lake and Beeston Sidings; hopefully our pond will also become a home for dragonflies soon too.
We had planted several flowering plants to give us (and the smaller creatures) lots of colour and interest in early autumn, so it was great to see the different plants thrive and provide good habitats for insects.
We were so excited to see all the plants and creatures on the allotment when term began again in September. There was an amazing array of dragonflies everywhere – we are lucky to be
really close to various watery wildlife habitats such as the canal, the River Leen, Highfields lake and Beeston Sidings; hopefully our pond will also become a home for dragonflies soon too.
We had planted several flowering plants to give us (and the smaller creatures) lots of colour and interest in early autumn, so it was great to see the different plants thrive and provide good habitats for insects.