Growing success for school garden

Lunch take-up at the 126-pupil school has risen from 50 to nearly 90

Long before Jamie Oliver's school dinners campaign hit the headlines a Devon school was sowing the seeds for its own healthy eating project.

Now each day pupils at Winkleigh Primary tuck into organic produce grown in the school's own garden.

Produce includes carrots, onions, beans, a variety of lettuce and other salad crops as well as strawberries.

Since adopting the new, healthy menus, lunch take-up at the 126-pupil school has risen from 50 to nearly 90.

If we have too much of anything we sell it Daniel Hooper

The garden is the brainchild of head teacher Jane Rivans, chair of governors Susan Gill and parent Jamie Inglis, who designed it.

Mrs Rivans said: "Obviously we want to encourage the children to lead a healthy life and to recognise that what you put into your body is important.

"But this is all important for learning too.

"The children learn practical science and in a rural area like this the garden is really relevant to their lives and they take a pride in it."

Business plan

The garden, complete with a mini polytunnel, is all organic and is currently producing more than needed so pupils are also working on a business plan to sell the excess.

Year Six pupil Daniel Hooper is the head gardener and is currently training pupils from Year Five to take over when he leaves this summer.

"My granddad is a gardener and he grows everything we grow here so I have been able to learn from him," said Daniel.

"We come down here before and after school to water the plants and do the weeding.

"Everything we produce and pick goes to the kitchen and the healthy snack shop and if we have too much of anything we sell it."