Growing Devon Schools offers networking, skill sharing and training for everyone involved in outdoor learning in schools across Devon.

Our ‘Forum Days’ and twilight sessions for teachers, teaching assistants, parents, school volunteers and the wider community aim to build confidence and practical skills, and create a support network around school gardens in Devon. These interactive and informative sessions gave teachers, TA’s and other members of the school community a chance to share ideas and concerns with each other and also with industry professionals. The Forum School Days were funded by Awards for All, the Ernest Cook Trust, Devon Gardens Trust and Devon Community Foundation. Participants had the opportunity to:

Share skills and ideas for learning around the food cycle.
Link outdoor learning to the curriculum.
Attend talks and workshops from teachers and outdoor facilitators.
Access ideas and resources to take back to school.
All free with a free lunch

We are now looking to a new model of how we support more growing in schools. This pilot project is currently focusing on one school and its surround community, delivering clubs, work socials and school farmers markets with the intention of eventually replicating this at other schools across Devon.

Perhaps your school has an existing growing and learning outdoors space and you would like to share this model with other teachers? Maybe you run an organisation that could provide ideas to schools and have been looking to collaborate and contribute to your community? Please get in touch, we would be happy to help facilitate these events taking place.

Upcoming Events….

The next Forum Day CPD event is coming up in May…

Growing Devon Schools Forum Afternoon 10/05/2024

Why we need to start young:

Experiential pathways towards careers in agroecology/ regenerative farming and conservation

For a better food system

For better physical and mental health

For better resilience in a world of climate change and biodiversity loss

Everyone has the right to be given the opportunity to learn to love the natural world that sustains us all and to experience how all things are connected – and to be informed about the positive, empowering options that exist in these sectors.

A hands-on, immersive session at Farm School, Shillingford Organics, near Exeter

Preliminary outline:

from 12:00 – 3:30

12:00 -1:00 arrival and lunch (this event includes a free lunch, however, we realise that participants may need to work the full morning and travel during this slot).

1:00 – 1:15 introduction to the session and each other

1:15 – 1:35 “connecting the dots” – sharing expertise & experience

2:35 – 2:20 practical activities / breakout sessions

2:20 – 2:35 tea break

2:35 – 3:10 “world café” topic groups

3:10 – 3:30 reflection and planning next steps

Previous Events…

Autumn Forum Day 2022

Teachers and volunteers gathered on a sunny day at On The Hill to participate in activities including botanical ink dying, stone soup demonstration and shared lunch, silent mandala art creation using natural materials and hand weaving.