Garden Project

Meet Sonya Grimwade

I have been involved with Cromer Road for several years (including being a former pupil!). I am a parent at the school and work as a Teaching Assistant in the Inclusion Team. I have a passion for nature, gardening and outdoor learning and a few years ago I started working on a project to transform a derelict area of land behind the Oak Room into an enjoyable outdoor area for wildlife, learning and well being for the children and staff.

There is already a small group of parents and staff signed up to help with this project. I hope you will join us in making this school garden a great success now and for many years to come.

email: gardenproject@crsa.online

Latest News

Garden Project off and Running..!

On a fine Spring Saturday at the end of March work finally started on our wonderful Garden Project. The contractors moved in and began the task of clearing the site ready for the next phase. As you can see from the photos once all the overgrown bramble and vegetation was cleared it has revealed quite a large area that will become a fantastic place for teachers and pupils to enjoy and learn in. Trees have been pruned and in some cases removed because they were simply not safe enough to remain. Weather permitting we hopefully wont have to wait too long before phase 2 begins.

Garden Project Receives Funding and Approval

After several years of hard work we are delighted to say that the CRSA have been able to secure some grant funding (from the North Area Community Infrastructure Levy fund through Barnet Council) specifically for this project. This money puts us in the position of being able to pay contractors to do the main clearing and set up of the site and to be able to purchase items we need such as a shed and raised beds etc.

This is fantastic news for the pupils, parents and staff at our school and we hope to start using it at some point in the Summer Term 2024! Works will be starting in the next few weeks…….

This is however just the start of this great opportunity for the school and we will continue to need your ongoing support and help to make it the best it can be, to keep developing it and maintaining it for years to come. Once the garden is ready to use we will need help from volunteers with:

Ongoing basic maintenance/care (pruning, weeding, watering)
Supporting with development of use of the garden
Constructing pre made structures such as shed and raised beds etc

We also need volunteers to help with ongoing maintenance and care of the large flower beds around the new building and other areas in school so we can help make the school grounds look really good and nurture the children’s interest in plants and the outdoors. We already have a list of people who signed up to help previously and I will be emailing them shortly. If you would like to get involved please contact me on gardenproject@online.crsa You don’t need to have experience - just enthusiasm, all are welcome!

You can also speak to me about ways you can help with the garden project if you see me in school. As well as being a parent at the school I also work as a Teaching Assistant here.

We look forward to developing this project with the help of the school community.

Dana O'Donnell -

After several years of hard work we are delighted to let you know that the CRSA has been able to secure some grant funding (from the North Area Community Infrastructure Levy through Barnet Council) specifically for this garden project. The bid was sponsored by Cllr David Longstaff, Barnet Ward. This money puts us in the position of being able to get contractors to do the main clearing/tree works, path laying and for us to be able to purchase items we need such as a shed, raised beds and tools and learning equipment. This is fantastic news for the pupils, parents and staff and we hope work will start shortly and that we will be able to start using the garden during the Summer Term!

This is just the start of this great opportunity for the school community and we will need ongoing support from parents and staff to help make it the best it can be both now and for years to come. If you would like to be added to our list of volunteers already signed up to help in various ways, please get in touch - no experience needed, all welcome!

Please see the CRSA website for further information and contact us on gardenproject@crsa.online. We look forward to developing this project with the help of the school community.

For a while now a small group of parents and carers have been working on plans for a wildlife garden area behind the new Oak Room at the school. This will be an amazing opportunity for the children to have hands on learning about the environment, plants, insects and much more. Besides learning, it would also provide a calm and quiet space for when our children need it.

To start a wildlife area from scratch is extremely expensive, so wherever possible we would like to use volunteers from our wonderful school community to help make the project more affordable.

The Plan...

To have an onsite secure wildlife and growing area for teachers and children to learn and enjoy. The aims of this garden are many, including:

learning about the environment
creating greater biodiversity in our school grounds
onsite learning facility for different subjects including science for actives such as pond dipping, mini beast hunts, bird watching etc
calm area for mindfulness activities in nature to improve well being
learning about sustainable growing and developing new skills

We need your help! Not just with gardening, but also with applying for grants, organising volunteers and building sheds etc. Below are some of the roles we’d like help with – some of which can be done from home. Once the garden is up and running, it will need regular maintenance. This will be a long-term commitment, but one that we hope will also bring huge rewards. Other school’s have wildlife areas

and find them extremely beneficial.

Could you help with any of the following?

Landscaping – preparing the garden for planting
Planting – helping chose plants and getting them planted
Assembling sheds and planters
Creating rotas for gardening volunteers
Liaising with relevant local businesses to get discounts/donations on materials, plants and compost
Applying for grants
Going online and helping us find the things we need - looking at reviews and finding the best prices
Sharing your knowledge and experience from a similar project

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact me on gardenproject@crsa.online. I know that your time is precious, so however much or little time you are able to give will be appreciated. If you are unable to commit to a meeting, don’t worry! Get in touch and we will find a solution. Don’t be shy about getting involved, this is a great way to meet other parents and carers whilst also supporting your child’s school.

Sonya Grimwade

Trustee - CRSA