Dickleburgh Primary Academy students get green-fingered for conservation project

Primary school pupils have been spreading their roots across the community as part of a planting project.

Year 6 students from Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy took part in a ‘planting for the future’ event recently, which saw them planting trees and hedges, as well as making native seed bombs to scatter across St Clement’s Common, in Rushall.

Since last year, pupils have been working alongside nature conservation charity The Conservation Volunteer (TCV), which takes on a number of environmental projects to improve green spaces in the area and educate children on the natural world.

Bex Cross, from TCV, said: “We’ve been doing a variety of activities together, dependant on the time of year and what is happening in the natural world.

“In winter, we planted hedges; in spring, we made native wildflower seed balls and sowed a mini-wildflower meadow, while always allowing the children the space to explore and learn, inviting them to get to know the trees and wildflowers in their local green spaces.”

Moira Croskell, headteacher at Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy, explained how the project has given children a chance to practically apply some of the work they had been studying at school over the previous term.

She said: “The pupils absolutely loved going over to the common and working with Bex and were really keen to share what they had done when they got back to school.

“The activities linked closely with our geography and science curriculum but also our whole school theme of conservation this term.

“These enrichment activities help to consolidate their learning and understanding, and it was so much fun, too.”

Richard Cranmer, CEO of St Benet’s Multi Academy Trust, which runs Dickleburgh Primary Academy, in Harvey Lane, added: “We are very proud of Dickleburgh Church of England Primary Academy in their efforts to learn about the environmental concerns we face.”