Our school garden gives children the chance to get their hands in the soil, discover how things grow and enjoy caring for the natural world.

At Clapham Manor, the growing spaces include the garden and greenhouse in the Infant Playground, alongside planters around the school and in the Junior Playground. The PTA helps support these spaces through funding, family gardening sessions and volunteer help.

Gardening with the children

Our school gardener comes in weekly and works with small groups of children on a rotating basis. Children take part in planting, growing and caring for the garden, while the gardener also helps maintain the school’s growing spaces.

Each spring, every class grows vegetables or herbs from seed, ready to plant outside when the weather is warm enough. The gardening groups and the school’s Eco-Champions help care for the plants until they are ready to harvest.

Family gardening sessions

Our occasional Sunday gardening sessions are relaxed, friendly mornings where families help with planting, weeding and general garden care. They’re a lovely way to meet other families while helping the school.

In autumn, our sessions include planting spring bulbs to bring colour to the garden and planters the following year. Volunteers also help with watering during warmer weather, weekends and school holidays.

From the school garden to Venn Street Market

Each summer, the children’s growing efforts come together at Clapham Manor’s annual stall at Venn Street Market in July.

With support from school staff and PTA volunteers, pupils become market traders for the day, selling school-grown produce and sharing what they have achieved. Our much-loved beetroot brownies, made using school-grown beetroot, are a regular highlight!

Get involved

Parents, carers and children are always welcome at our family gardening sessions — no gardening experience needed. You can also help with watering and garden care between sessions.

Details of upcoming gardening sessions and opportunities to help are shared through the usual PTA channels, including Classlist, the school newsletter and year-group WhatsApp groups. Keep an eye out if you’d like to join in!