Updates from outside!
The determined effort to develop the best possible learning environment for Winston students doesn't stop in the classrooms and indoor facilities. Students have been making a fantastic effort and impact around the school campus too.
Work has begun on a new allotment in a little corner of the school field. Beds have been created and fruit and herbs planted so far. Students are currently working on making some raised beds to make the allotment accessible to all. Work will also continue to introduce a cut flower bed and those all important vegetables. We are supporting wildlife up there; feeding the small birds and we hope to leave wildlife verges around the edge to encourage more biodiversity to the site. Students have repurposed an unused outbuilding for their tool shed and have installed a water butt from it.
Work has also begun renovating a small area between Drama and DT. A very old pond was uncovered and emptied and students are looking forward to bringing it back to life. A beautiful frog was found while excavating and students feel really hopeful that by filling the pond back up and adding the right plants the frog and other wildlife will have an area to breed and thrive next year. This will be part of a dedicated wildlife garden for the school with its purpose to provide shelter, food and water for as much life as possible. We have just acquired a wildlife camera so watch this space for our findings. It is our hope that this garden will provide a peaceful, calming spot for students and staff to meet and reflect, as well as connect with nature and each other.
Another group of students has been working wonderfully to tidy the front of school outside reception. Raised beds have been repainted, bulbs planted and the existing shrubs now have some space to breathe and shine next year.
Squires Garden Centre in Horsell very generously donated 600 daffodil bulbs to the school to get us excited for Spring and we have been overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for the response to our bring a bulb to school initiative. Students from our Eco Club will be taking the lead on getting these planted in the next few weeks. Over 200 bulbs are already in the ground. Thank you so much to our endlessly supportive parents.
Being a large campus, students have begun work on making a portable tool store, to make our gardening efforts more efficient around site. One group have worked incredibly well as a team to source and reuse free wood from pallets to make this and it's starting to take shape and look brilliant. It's been especially poignant for students to see waste turned into something really useful. All for the cost of a few screws and hinges combined with a little effort and creativity.
And to thank the teams for their dedication, students were given the option to go wild and carve pumpkins for halloween just before half term. We are sure you’ll agree they were really fun!
This is all part of an ongoing effort for students to have extra opportunity to learn practically and feel the therapeutic benefits of connection to nature. We look forward to sharing more in due course.
As a project, we are dedicated to demonstrating the importance of reusing and repurposing which will, not only show students how they can save money in the future but also look after our planet. If you feel you might have anything you no longer require which could be useful to us we’d be so grateful if you’d get in touch. Woodchip, tools, screws, seeds, outdoor paint, we can probably make use of it! Similarly, if you’d like any information in general about the project please contact Hannah Bates h.bates@wcsc.org.uk
Hannah runs an allotment club on Wednesdays 3-4 so feel free to encourage your children to get involved, have fun, share their skills and bring home some too!
