Hadfield's Secret Garden

Learners plant healthy crops at Secret Garden

Our eager young Health and Social Care learners got down to earth at the Secret Garden located at our Hadfield Road centre!

They rolled up their sleeves and cleared compost, before seeding parsnips, carrots, shallots and sprouts. As well as the tasty, healthy veg, they also planted seeds for a selection of wonderful winter flowers.

Everything was dug into the soil following classroom-based lessons in Balanced Diets and Healthy Lifestyles. Next, the same learners will help decorate the garden’s walls, with graffiti designs! Employability Tutor Jessica Caramella said that while traditional, indoor lessons are important, more hands-on activities, like those in the garden, are needed to illustrate what the theory means in real life.

She said: “Theory teaches you about the experiences of other people’s learning, but practical education builds knowledge of our own world and this activity did exactly that! “Firstly, the classroom lesson gave learners the ability to understand different food groups and the benefits they can have on our body and mind, then our practical session enabled learners to plant in an area they call their own.

“Once these grow, learners will be able to utilise the kitchen to prep and cook food which will build on their real life and independence skills.”