Find out more about how Hartford Manor Community Primary School achieved their Gold Wild Challenge award through their empowered learners. Plus, find out how they've taken their project even further by creating nature-based solutions for flooding in parts of their school.
Follow @MrBedfordsClass on X (formerly Twitter) to keep up to date with how his class' learning is delivered through nature. All images are by Mr Bedford.
Tell Me About the Project
The children gained greater familiarity with the natural spaces in their school grounds through Wild Challenge Award. Following the Biodiversity Action Plan Wild Challenge activity, they believed leaving areas unmown was the way they could increase the biodiversity (based on the information on the Nature’s Scorecard resource, included in the activity, and their observations through Wild Challenge activities).
Taking their idea to the Headteacher, the children realised they needed additional evidence to support their argument so they surveyed both the cut grass and uncut grass to measure the rates of biodiversity in each.
Using the Wild Challenge activity, Plant Safari, the children found only 6 species of plant in the cut areas but an impressive 50+ species in the uncut grass.
Using the Minibeast Safari Wild Challenge activity, the range of Minibeasts was reflected in the findings; with only 3 found in the cut grass and 41 in in the uncut grass.
The children used mapping and measuring techniques to propose the site/s for the ‘no mow’ areas.
"The next step of our No Mow campaign. We measured all the areas around our perimeter that could be left long for wildlife. Leaving a strip just 20cm wide would create a long grass areas of nearly 100m2 Leaving 50cm and this would be 240m2" explains Mr Bedford.
This was calculated into square meters and mapped out on the field to see the overall size they would be able to create, "We marked out the size of the long grass area that could be created by leaving just 50cm uncut around our school perimeter. Look how big it is!" The learners exclaim.
It Didn't End There...
After this project, the learners had more ideas to build on their success. Some of this progress was disrupted by COVID however, the children still went on to engage in a project to use no mow areas and the deliberate use of wild areas to prevent flooding from heavy rain water running off the upper part of the playground ad flooding parts of the school.
Mr Bedford; “As these children grow up how can they be expected to care for something they haven't experienced? As a teacher, I see the vast potential the outdoors and nature has to offer in a broad and balanced curriculum... I am a full-time teacher, and nothing I have done took too much time or was additional work.”
Mr Bedford acted to facilitate and guide the children to apply their knowledge and skills from science lessons (plus, maths and English). The children could see a real-life purpose and impact of their project which also acted to empower their pupil voice and sense of agency to make change because it was led by them.
How Can My Class Get a Wild Challenge Award?
The award is evidence-based and is available across the UK for free.
To achieve a Gold Wild Challenge Award for your school, you just need to register to take part and work through the free activities. The activities can be built into the curriculum and used to deliver objectives you would be teaching anyway. Each level of the award requires three activities which provide an experience of nature to help children connect with their emotional response to nature and three activities which allow the children to take actions to increase the biodiversity in school grounds. Evidence sent for the award is moderated by trained specialists who personally create each certificate.