Learning Outside the Classroom
A pair of schools from Bradford worked together, outside the classroom on an ‘Allotment Project’ to explore the theme food and sustainability.
Introduction
As part of every school linking project, schools will, after spending time within their own environments exploring identity and diversity in preparation for meeting, embark on a shared project.
Each school works within the curriculum, meeting and communicating with their pair, throughout the year. The curriculum focus can be anything relevant and acceptable to both schools.
Case Study – Sustainable Futures
Working together with Bradford Community Environmental Project, the schools used a local allotment as their neutral ground and met regularly throughout the year. Working through the seasons they prepared beds for the crops, plant, prune and harvest.
At the end their project the schools used the harvested food to prepare a food festival for the students and families to come together and celebrate.
Background of Schools
St Cuthberts and Lister Primary are located next door to each other.
St Cuthberts is a Catholic primary school with a mainly white British population and an increasing number of African-Caribbean, African and Eastern European students.
Lister Primary has a predominantly Muslim population of Pakistani heritage.
Curriculum Areas
The project covered the followed topics:
- Science: how things grow
- PSHE: healthy eating and sustainability
- Citizenship: community cohesion
- Numeracy: weights and measures
- D&T: food preparation
Successes
The students gained scientific knowledge about how food grows, how to eat a healthy diet and about developing sustainable food production. They also acquired cooking skills including weighing and measuring ingredients.
The shared experience of working together gives the children a sense of pride in their achievement. What begins as having a shared purpose also grows into meaningful interaction and friendship.
Challenges
As the project works on a year long rolling program, it requires continuous commitment from all parties involved.
