Staff and Parents Create Peace Garden for pupils
…while standing in the area, in the overgrown unused area, surrounded with a broken rickety old fence, there was a robin redbreast happily tweeting away and the peace in among the chaos was overwhelming. From that moment everything changed it was now going to be a peace garden, a place where our children could go to escape for a moment from the chaos in their lives.
MRS. PEACOCK
Staff, Parents, and friends all worked together to create a wonderful Peace Garden for our pupils here at Parkland. Led by our CoCo’s Mrs. Peacock and Mrs. Steere, the group worked tirelessly to transform a disused, overgrown area into a tranquil space for pupils to use.
The area was previously earmarked as a potential Forest School but plans didn’t quite come to fruition. Mrs. Peacock, who is one of the CoCo’s at the academy, found inspiration from a Robin eating berries. Immediately feeling the peace the space could offer, she got to work with Mrs. Steere, who is also a CoCo and made plans to transform the area.
Their idea was shared with parents, and the local community (including the local church), and work soon began. Whilst the job was bigger than first imagined, everybody working together soon saw the garden start to take life.
The whole area needed digging up and leveling out as it used to be a pond many years ago. It also needed a lot of clearing work (weeds, wood, rubbish). Mrs. Peacock and Mrs. Steere reached out to the local builders’ yard who very generously donated lots of bark and logs to use. A fence was also put in place by all the volunteers.
Co-op Engagement also donated a bench and plants to really help enhance the garden.
Pupils have already been enjoying the garden. They were very excited to see the finished project and help look after the existing plants as well as planting new ones.
There are plans for Key Stage 1 classes to use the garden for reading sessions and circle time, whilst an Eco Warrior Group will be formed to help maintain the area.
Such fantastic work by everyone involved – well done!
It is an amazing resource for mental health, it is a place that will grow and develop over time. We love it.
MRS. PEACOCK
