St. Teresa of Lisieux is a large primary school in Norris Green, an area of Liverpool with high levels of deprivation. The school already had a Healthy School Award, that recognises the school’s commitment to help pupils lead a healthy lifestyle, but it wanted to do much more to build a happy, healthy environment for its pupils. An Edible Playground was the perfect way for the school to embark on a new teaching and learning journey.

Thanks to support from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, children from St Teresa’s now have a dedicated space for growing fruit and vegetables, and learning about healthy eating. Teachers use the playground to deliver outdoor lessons, and the school was also excited to welcome our partner, Chefs Adopt a School, who teach children about food, cookery, food provenance and growing, healthy eating, nutrition, hygiene, table etiquette and the importance of eating together. And that’s not all – the school is working towards a Food for Life Award with School Food Matters. It’s also running cookery workshops with parents to encourage a culture of outdoor learning and healthy living, using produce from the Edible Playground.

Through the Edible Playground project, the school hopes to become a flagship growing school for the area, sharing its learning and facilities with neighbouring schools.