The Southfield Horticulturalist

This year, as part of our school development plan, we are proud to introduce the 'Southfield Horticulturalist' as one of our key focus areas. This exciting initiative gives children the opportunity to explore Science in the natural world while utilising our newly developed horticultural garden to enhance their knowledge of nature and wildlife.

In the Autumn term, pupils began their horticulturalist journey by exploring the incredible diversity of British wildlife. Each class focused on one of six specific species – barn owls, swans, water voles, hedgehogs, otters or badgers – learning more about their behaviour, diet, habitat, and ways we can help protect them for future generations.

To deepen their understanding, children enjoyed exciting school trips to the British Wildlife Centre and the Barnes Wetland Centre. During these trips, the children had the opportunity to observe the animals up close and take part in interactive workshops, looking at how swans and otters are adapted to live at the wetlands. In addition to this, each year group adopted their animal from the British Wildlife Centre. Our donation will help support the breeding programme of the species, covering the costs of food and care to ensure these wonderful creatures thrive. In return, each class received a thank you letter, newsletter, and a certificate as well as having our school name and year groups displayed on the adoption board at the centre.  

As part of this project, we held a school-wide competition where children were encouraged to create fantastic art projects inspired by the animals they had been learning about. The entries were truly impressive and many are now proudly displayed throughout the school.

In the coming months, we have even more exciting trips planned and we are especially excited to make use of our very own horticultural garden, where we will explore the rich ecosystems of pond life, from insects to amphibians, during the Spring term, and then shift our focus to studying a variety of plants and flowers, their life cycles, and their role in supporting local wildlife in the Summer term.

Below are some images and outcomes from our Autumn trips.