Birches Head Academy grows it like no other

~ Gardening brings students, staff and community together ~

As finalists in Morrisons Young Gardener of the Year Awards, Birches Head Academy in Stoke-On-Trent has won 10,000 vouchers to spend on gardening resources. The school’s gardening programme has been immensely successful and the produce is now being used to supply the school kitchen.

Half of the child population in the UK currently has access to Morrisons ‘Let’s Grow’ scheme, with 26,500 schools currently registered.

The popularity of the programme has taken the nation by storm and Birches Head Academy is no exception. The school’s own Grow It group was set up just over a year ago by Sarah Wright, Director of CPD (Continual Professional Development). Members have been meeting on a biweekly basis and exploring the benefits of growing their own fruit and vegetables.

Using the gardening equipment provided by the Morrisons scheme, the Grow It group has worked alongside the school’s Personalised Learning Centre to cultivate a small plot of land on school grounds. The produce is given to its members and often used to supply the school cafeteria. The scheme is encouraging Birches Head Academy students to learn more about the advantages of a healthy diet and the importance of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of food production and consumption.


The Grow It group at Birches Head Academy is an inclusive organisation, consisting of students, parents, grandparents, staff and community members who meet every Wednesday and Thursday to learn about gardening. They are always welcoming towards new members and are currently looking to extend their reach.

To show its support, the local community has donated funds and equipment to the Grow It community. The group is currently collecting vouchers which will be used to purchase more seeds and gardening equipment.

“We started from scratch, but thanks to everyone pulling together, we’ve achieved quite a lot in a very short time,” says Wright. “The Grow It group teaches pupils how to grow their own flowers, vegetables and fruit, while having fun in the process.”

The community has been constantly increasing in numbers since it was set up and its popularity has convinced the school to make more facilities available to the students. “I am impressed to hear,” says local MP Rob Flello, “that the school is using extracurricular activities to promote academic achievement”.

This academic year, the Grow It group will also plant flowers in meadows around the school with seeds they harvested from the Coronation Meadow in Basford, Staffordshire.