On Saturday, October 5, North Kessock Primary School celebrated the grand opening of its new outdoor learning garden.
The event drew excitement from pupils, parents, teachers, and community members alike.
Raoul Curtis-Machin, Director of Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, officiated the opening.
Founded by Jane-Julia Gladwin in 2023, Go Flourish is dedicated to enhancing educational experiences through high-quality teaching gardens.
This innovative three-year pilot project will be monitored by researchers from the University of St Andrews’ Psychology and Neuroscience School.
Their aim is to assess the garden’s impact on children’s well-being while gathering valuable data to showcase its benefits.
Leading the initiative is fully qualified teacher Laura Dorantt, who has worked diligently over the past year to integrate the garden into the school’s outdoor education curriculum.
With the garden now thriving, she will conduct regular classes and engage with the local community to ensure its sustainability.
Highland Council’s Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson, expressed his strong support for the project.
He highlighted its potential to improve well-being and essential life skills among students.
Finlayson also praised Julia-Jane Gladwin for her unwavering commitment to the project and looked forward to visiting the garden.
The Go Flourish pilot will offer a comprehensive three-year scoping study, funded by the charity and St Andrews University.
It aims to provide quantitative data on the educational, financial, and societal benefits of school gardens.
This evidence will help inform local education authorities and the Scottish Government about the advantages of integrating Go Flourish Gardens into school communities.
Additionally, the project will outline the procedures needed to establish and maintain sustainable gardens in Highland schools.
Julia-Jane Gladwin remarked:
“Our vision is to reinstate nature at the heart of education.”
She believes the children at North Kessock Primary School will serve as living proof of the garden’s intrinsic value.
One Primary 6 pupil summed it up perfectly:
“The garden is cool!
“I like looking up through the trees when you see the sun shining through.
“And it smells really nice.
“It makes me happy.”
With such enthusiasm from the community, the Go Flourish project is poised for a bright future.
To learn more about the work of the Flourish charity visit – www.flourishcharity.org
