Chilton primary pupils and parents dig in to create school allotment

Chilton pupils hard at work on the allotment

Children are helping to create and maintain their school allotment at Chilton primary in Ramsgate.

The lunchtime club involves pupils of all ages digging in to make the gardening project a success.

Staff and parents have helped prepare the ground and pupils have been hoeing, raking, planting and watering as they encourage a variety of plants to grow and flower.

Their vegetable patches are producing a number of healthy and tasty plants including potatoes, strawberries, lettuces and beans.

Parents Emma Dondi-Smith and her pal Laura Moor, together with other families, did a lot of the legwork getting the ground ready.

Emma said: “Myself and Laura have allotments very near to the Chilton patch and we all joined in to make sure the growing areas were marked out and that the soil was suitable for planting.”

Deputy Head of School Natalie Barrow said: “We decided to revitalise the school allotment this year and we have received terrific support from staff, children and families.

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“The allotment is popular lunchtime club with pupils of all ages, and it also used as a teaching resource during the day when we are studying ecology, the environment and the life cycle of plants.

“The pupils love getting involved and having ownership of their allotment, seeing their vegetables and fruit plants sprout and grow. The produce is taken home by them but once the allotment is better established we plan to have a sales table for parents with proceeds helping fund the project.”

Pfizer has already supported the Chilton plan with a £500 donation and this has bought a new strimmer to keep the grass neat and tidy, plus compost, tools and plants.