Growing Schools is a Department for Education and Skills programme to harness the potential of the outdoors as a resource for teaching about food production, farming, the countryside, caring for the natural environment and the importance of a healthy diet.

The Growing Schools Garden at 77 Bexley Road, Eltham, London SE9, is open to visitors and provides outdoor education-related training for teachers and providers. Upcoming courses include: fieldwork techniques; gardening skills; energy education; developing and effective school gardening club; creativity in the environment; developing and using school grounds for wildlife gardening; making science come alive outdoors; educating through the eco-footprint; ecological fieldwork techniques for secondary teachers. Fee per course: £120.

One-hour guided tours cost £6. Free self-guided tours (including a resource pack) are available for teachers. The Growing Schools Garden classroom (capacity 20 seated, 15 for activities) can be hired for meetings/training etc for £50 per half day.

For more details contact: Iluska Farkas tel/fax: 020 8294 5864; growingschoolsgarden@widehorizons.org.uk