School in Ipswich starts lockdown gardening club to get children outdoors

Andrew Papworth

Published: 1:21 PM February 15, 2021

The new Seedlings gardening club at Ipswich's Cliff Lane Primary Schools aims to 'promote the idea that children's health and happiness can be enhanced by being outside and active in nature during lockdown'. - Credit: Cliff Lane Primary School

Ipswich's Cliff Lane Primary School has launched a new gardening club - to encourage children to maximise their time outside during lockdown.

The school said the new Seedlings virtual club is designed to "promote the idea that children's health and happiness can be enhanced by being outside and active in nature during lockdown".

Children plant fruit trees in the grounds of Cliff Lane Primary School, Ipswich - Credit: Cliff Lane Primary School

Learning assistant Teresa Poole, who set up The Seedlings, posts challenges and gardening lessons onto Cliff Lane's online learning platform each week for children to complete at home.

Pupils upload photographs of their completed gardening projects into an online classroom.

So far, the club has built bug hotels, created pine cone bonsai trees and prepared sweet potato slips to grow sweet potatoes inside.

The Seedlings has been started at Ipswich's Cliff Lane Primary School - Credit: Cliff Lane Primary School

Children of key workers still attending school also take part and have planted four fruit trees in the school grounds as part of Cliff Lane's plans to create a fruit tree orchard.

James Gough, head of school at Cliff Lane, said: "The Seedlings gardening club is all about promoting being in nature, growing plants and developing children's wellbeing by being active outdoors.