Thank you for your support of the Broxbourne foodbank during our Harvest Appeal. We appreciate the generosity of everyone involved.
Best wishes Elaine Batten and Jeremy Pearce.
On Thursday 17th October Year 7 took part in their first House Competition. Over 3 mini competitions, students worked in their houses to overcome a variety of challenges against their peers. They started in English where they worked together to create gods, before trying to persuade ‘Zeus’ to take them on to Mount Olympus. Next, the students had to work together to build a paper tower and suspend a chocolate bar above the ground. After lunch, students took part in a mass ‘Nuk’em tournament down in PE. Points were awarded for each mini competition and winners were announced in assembly this week. The students had a fantastic time, making new friends and working together in their houses in a friendly competitive environment.
Next half term, Year 8 will be taking part in a similar event, details to follow…
Well Done Year 7!
Thank you to all members of the St. Mary’s community who have contributed to the harvest collection. The vital food has gone off to the Broxbourne Food Bank where it will be used to support families within the local community. The Food Bank team were extremely grateful for our contributions.
To raise awareness of World Mental Health Day on 10th October, St Mary’s encouraged students to visit ‘The Sandbox’, which is a free interactive digital service for children and young people. The Sandbox offers a wealth of support for emotional mental health and wellbeing especially directed towards children and young people. This includes information, local services, resources, livestreaming and therapy, both group and 1-1. On World Mental Health Day, they held a livestream event, where young people could directly ask a therapist any question about mental health, while playing the game ‘Animal Crossing’. These are popular events and to find out more about any future events, go to https://thesandbox.mindler.co.uk/
Also, during this day another celebrated visit by Godfrey, the Therapy Dog, was arranged. These visits too, are always successful and well attended. Therapy Dogs Nationwide, are a national charity where volunteers bring their own dogs to various establishments to provide comfort, distraction, and stimulation. These volunteers have the unique privilege of working with their temperament-tested therapy dogs. Studies have extensively documented the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapies, which include improvements in general health and wellbeing, increased confidence levels, and enhanced communication skills. Therapy Dogs Nationwide is becoming increasingly involved in stress-relief and general wellbeing initiatives within large corporations through one-off visits.
On Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th October, our school choir, together with students from Holy Trinity CE Primary and Dewhurst St Mary CE Primary, had the incredible opportunity to lead the Harvest Festival worship services at St Albans Cathedral for the Diocese of St Albans. Accompanied by Miss King and Mr Crosby, the students were thrilled to perform alongside a live band of professional musicians, making the experience even more special.
Throughout the three services, the choirs led the congregation in singing a variety of hymns, including the powerful “How Great Thou Art” and the lively “You Shall Go Out With Joy.” The latter was such a hit that the students kept the energy going by singing it on repeat all the way home on the coach!
Performing in such a magnificent venue was truly unforgettable, and we are incredibly proud of everyone involved.
Geography students have reviewed their learning for the first few weeks of term and produced some amazing pieces in a variety of formats. We are very proud of the way students have embraced their learning and are focusing on moving their learning to their long term memory.
On the 27th September Year 11 Geography students conducted their human geography fieldwork in east London. Here students investigated how quality of life varied across three sites. Students carried out an environmental quality survey, fieldwork sketches, questionnaire and traffic survey. Although the weather was wet, students showed exemplary behaviour and were a credit to the school. In lessons, students will use the data collected to present their data, analyse results, draw conclusions and evaluate methodologies.
Despite the heavy rain first thing in the morning the intrepid Year 11 geographers set off for the field studies centre in High Beech, Epping Forest.
The purpose of the day was to show students how river characteristics change as you move down stream. It was a chance for students to get very ‘hands on’ with the geography of rivers. We spent a few hours in the morning devising hypotheses that we were going to investigate in the afternoon. After lunch we set off for Loughton Brook, you won’t be surprised but it was the most water I have ever seen in that river (and I’ve been going for many, many years!). Students then spent several hours wading in streams, measuring width, depth and velocity. They will use this data to test out their hypotheses in the classroom.
All of the students worked hard and were focused. It was a pleasure to be with them and they were a credit to St Mary’s.
Miss Douglas
The Art Department welcomed 30 Year 6 students from Dewhurst St Mary Primary School today as part of our Festival of Learning programme. They spent the morning creating their own ‘Sunflower’ designs, experimenting with oil pastels and paints on canvas. It was a pleasure to teach them! It was a productive and creative 90 minutes of learning.
Introduction
A few months ago, our school embarked on a journey that has transformed both our outdoor space and our community. We decided to set up a school garden—a space where students, teachers, and in the future, the local community could come together to learn, grow, and connect with nature, primarily to support positive mental health.
The Vision
The idea for the garden came from the evidence-based research that was published in April 2021 by RHS scientists Professor Alistair Griffiths and Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui that proves how gardening benefits our mental, physical and social wellbeing. Our garden is inspired by ‘The Vitamin G’ garden that exhibited in the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in 2022 which provided visitors with a daily dose of ‘vitamin G’.
Our space would be somewhere that students could learn about nature and how it could support their wellbeing. It would also provide an opportunity for students to develop a sense of responsibility and care for their environment.
Our idea was submitted to The Borough of Broxbourne and was then only possible due to their generous funding.
Planning and Preparation
Creating the garden was a collaborative effort from the start. Students were asked to design a garden space that they wanted to see and use as part of their school. We were inundated with ideas and these contributed to the planning phase. We selected a sunny spot on the school field that was underutilised, transforming it from a patch of grass into a vibrant garden space. We divided the area into two, one for an allotment with raised beds, shed and greenhouse and the other with sensory planting and benches.
Using the funding we were awarded we stocked the shed with the necessary tools and bought a variety of plants and seeds ready to sow.
The Planting
We took a ‘no dig’ approach to setting up the garden, which meant avoiding breaking up, lifting or turning the soil, leaving the soil undisturbed as much as is practical. This technique recognises that micro- and macro-biotic organisms constitute a ‘food web’ community in the soil, necessary for the healthy cycling of nutrients and prevention of problematic organisms and diseases. We achieved this by placing layers of cardboard on the grass and then putting the compost on top. Once the garden beds were ready, the real fun began. Two lunchtime clubs were set up for students which ran weekly. Once the seeds had started growing following their first few weeks in the greenhouse, we were able to plant them straight into the compost in our raised beds. Students were excited to get their hands dirty, planting seeds and seedlings while learning about the life cycle of plants. Students got involved with recycling and sustainability by using the compost bins and collecting water from the rainwater collection system and water butt.
It wasn’t just about planting, though. The garden became a space where students could learn about teamwork and responsibility. They took turns watering the plants, weeding the beds, and monitoring the growth of their crops.
“The club is a fun and relaxing place to plant and chill with friends at lunchtime” commented one student.
Growth and Learning
As the garden grew, so did our students. They learnt about the importance of patience and perseverance, as some crops took more time than others. They also learnt about failure and resilience when some plants didn’t thrive, and how to adapt and try again.
The garden also served as a powerful tool for teaching about sustainability as well as the importance of biodiversity. They saw first-hand how organic gardening practices can help protect the environment and now some of the students have been inspired to grow plants in their gardens.
Harvesting
Harvest time was a celebration in itself. The work students put in was greatly rewarded with giant fruit and vegetables that they enjoyed taking home and sharing with their families.
One student remarked “I was lucky enough to take home one of the largest courgettes I have ever seen to make my mum and dad a nice meal…!”
We also gave some of our produce to Caterlink, who provide the school meals. It then appeared on the lunch menu as a vegetarian main option, which proved very popular.
It was a delicious way to connect the dots between growing food and eating healthy.
Looking Ahead
Our school garden is still young, but it has already become an integral part of our school culture. We’re excited to see how the garden continues to grow—both in terms of the plants and the learning opportunities it provides. It’s a project that will continue to evolve, just like our students.
The creation of our school garden has been a rewarding experience for everyone involved. It’s more than just a place to grow plants; it’s a place to grow minds, friendships, and a deeper appreciation for the world around us. As our garden flourishes, so too does our community.
You can find out what the future holds in the next blog by our ‘Garden Guardians’.
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