A BURNHAM junior school has thanked the local community for supporting an initiative that will see pupils take responsibility for 12 new flowerbeds.
St Andrew’s Church of England Junior School hopes the flowerbeds, delivered last month, will “offer the children a chance to develop a love of growing things”.
Nine of the flowerbeds have been sponsored by local businesses or families for £200, meaning the school is looking for help covering the costs of the other three.
Year four teacher Sam Neate and deputy headteacher Chrissie Collett came up with the idea of installing one flowerbed for each class just under a year ago.
Mr Neate said: “The idea came about last September. I wanted to do something creative and a bit different.”
“The deputy headteacher and I were chatting, and we decided on flowerbeds.
“Classes can take responsibility for them and grow whatever they would like to, be it flowers, fruit, or vegetables.
“The classes haven’t seen the flowerbeds yet, but they have seen photos of what they will look like when constructed and they are very excited.”
The flowerbeds will be built at the start of the next academic year.
The donations have helped the school cover the cost of the flowerbeds (around £1,500) and the soil (£700) and will contribute towards seeds and other expenses.
“We’ve still got three flowerbeds that need sponsoring,” said Mr Neate.
“We’d like to say a big thank you to the companies and families that have donated.”
The local businesses and families who have donated to the flowerbeds initiative are:
- Tudor Lodge Residential Care Home
- ABC Children's Therapy
- Tekkwise and The Grooming Galley
- The Bridgewater family (donated in memory of Andrew Bridgewater, the father of St Andrew's pupil)
- Abbotsley Electrical
- Burnham Plastering and Drylining
- Northam Farm
- Quick Bite Café
- Parents of the class of 2022
Brean Leisure Park donated flowers for the school’s courtyard and flowerbeds, and the Burnham Rotary Club and Burnham in Bloom also helped financially.
Throughout the summer holidays, the school will release videos on Facebook of the children thanking the families and businesses that have supported the project.
If you or your business would like to sponsor a flowerbed, contact office@standrewsjuniors.co.uk.
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