Garden Project

Latest News

Official Opening of the Wildlife and Learning Garden by the Mayor of Barnet

On 4th October the sun shone and the wildflowers were still in full bloom for the official opening of the schools Wildlife and Learning Garden. The whole school community was invited to attend the opening and have a look around the garden at the end of the school day. Tony Vourou, the Mayor of Barnet, attended to make a speech and cut the ribbon to mark the official opening. Cllr David Longstaff, who supported the funding bid to Barnet Council NCIL Committee (Northern Community Infrastructure Levy) was also there along with Cllr Richard Barnes who is a Governor for the school. Many parents and children came along and saw the garden for the first time. There is an official plaque on the gate too! As a school community we are delighted to be able to use the garden - it is a fantastic addition to our school resources to enhance well-being, support curriculum learning, increase our connection with nature and understand how we can help to protect our environment.  Classes and individuals have started using the garden for different activities including PSHE, calm time, bulb planting, a Hidden Nature Challenge (as part of the National Education Nature Park project) and more.  We look forward to creative writing and art in the garden as well as mindfulness alongside pond dipping, mini beast hunting and vegetable growing among many other activities. If you would like to help with maintaining  and developing the garden and want to get involved, please do get in touch. There are lots of different ways to help. The CRSA already have some amazing volunteers supporting us and we would love others to join; please get in touch at gardenproject@crsa.online

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Call for Volunteers

Things have really started coming together with the wildlife and learning garden - the wildflowers look beautiful and there are so many bees and butterflies, we have been having a bumper crop of tomatoes which are being enjoyed by the children and staff. The pond is buzzing with life, dragonflies, damsel flies, frogs….. 


There are still a few jobs we need to do to be fully ready for the children to use the site.  We really would like the children to be able to start going in the garden as soon as possible this term…… In order of priority (as some jobs are not essential for the children to start using it.) 


- full clear of site including some rubble and rocks which have been there for a while, some rubbish, trimming down brambles, tidy up of area near pond - bit over grown and not accessible at present etc

- assembling x2 metal shelves (second hand from a shop display) in the shed. 

- wood preserver on raised beds

- level small area for water butts - (we may need to get a couple of paving slabs to help with this) and attaching water butt pipe to rainwater down pipe on music room. 

- Assembling x2 connected wooden composting bays. 



Longer term -

- I will need to put together a rota if possible just for someone to be able to do a quick visit and help with basic maintenance of the site - hopefully the children will be able to do things like watering etc but keeping brambles in check, check pond levels, clear leaves/weed from pond etc 

- Running activities, possibly a gardening club…. 


As with last time this may be too short notice for some but it did actually work out well last time so giving to a go again! I know a couple of people said they can do Fridays - I am working then but as I will be at the school can be available to let people know what needs doing and where things are etc. So tomorrow and this Saturday are options if anyone is available to help with the above jobs and possibly next Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon.  


If people can let me know their availability over the next couple of weekends and what they can help with then I can see what we can do and let you know. 


Thank you so much for your ongoing support with this project - it is appreciated. 


Best wishes 

Sonya

September Update

Over the summer break there has been a lot happening in the new garden!  The wildflower meadow is looking beautiful right now with cornflowers, poppies, daisies to name just a few.  We have been adding oxygenating plants to the pond as well as having a solar powered oxygenator - which the resident fox seems particularly fascinated by!  The sun has shone and there has been a bumper crop of a variety of delicious tomatoes - beef steak, cherry and money makers as well as some huge courgettes, and beetroot on the way.  The pupils have been enjoying some ‘school grown’ tomatoes at break times this first week back.  We will be planning which vegetables to grow across the seasons for the children to enjoy seeing and hopefully tasting too!

In the last week of the holidays we also took delivery of our new shed for the garden and are excited that the resources and equipment we have ordered for the pupils to use in the garden have started to arrive - we have pond dipping kits, identification sheets, magnifying bug pots and more.  We will also soon have our water collection butts and composting bays to be able to make our garden more environmentally sustainable.  

This is still very much the start of the journey with the new garden at Cromer Road and we are looking forward to seeing how it develops as the staff and pupils start using it for learning and well being activities.  The CRSA relies on parents volunteering some of their time to support the school community.  Everyone is welcome and it would be lovely to see some of our new Reception parents getting involved.  Anyone who wants to be on the email list specific to the garden project please let us know at gardenproject@crsa.online and keep checking this page for updates too!  

See you in the garden…… Sonya


We have plants !!

Take a look at the latest photos of our wonderful Wildlife Garden, we have plants !!! and they look to be growing very well indeed... Our pond has water in it and a little friend has taken up residence.

Tesco Blue Chip

From the first week in July 2024 until end of September 2024 we are in the customer vote for Tesco Stronger Starts. It is a scheme which gives community projects like our community wildlife garden grants of up to £1,500. Tesco customers will vote using blue tokens in any of the stores listed here to decide how much funding we get. 

Remember to ask for your blue token next time you shop

Volunteers during June

A small army of volunteers have now been able to start landscaping our wildlife garden.  As you can see from the images it's starting to really take shape and looks amazing.  With some kind weather over the next few weeks we should be able to begin planting and watch the fruits of our labour begin to shoot.

Cromer Wildlife Garden Developments

Wickes Donation

The home improvement retailer that's "Here to help the nation feel house proud", have very kindly donated soil to the school Garden Project with thanks to Chandni Patel the Operations Manager at the Borehamwood store.  As you can see from the above images our fabulous Garden Project is really beginning to take shape and with the support from our local Wickes store it wont be too long before we start to reap what we sow.

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.

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.

Before

After

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:


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.

Seeking Volunteers

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!  


email Sonya: gardenproject@crsa.online


Sonya Grimwade

Trustee - CRSA