Reconnect students with the source of their food

Having a school garden on campus is a great way to use the outdoors as a classroom, reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food. It also teaches them valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects within the curriculum such as math, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies.
The garden is also a tranquil place for students and staff to use as part of our wellbeing and mindfulness initiatives. In addition to the educational links, in the cooler months, the garden is used as a meeting place, which provides a more relaxed and welcoming environment for visitors, students and parents.
Dubai British School Jumeirah Park also has a gardening club as an extra-curricular activity, and staff and students decide together what to grow in the garden. The garden, which has a great mix of flowering plants and vegetables, is looked after daily by the students in the gardening club. Moreover, each year group in the primary section of the school has a unit of study related to the garden or growing. For example, Year 3 students have a theme titled English Country Garden.   
By having a school garden, children learn about horticulture as well as learning about healthy eating. Flowering plants and vegetables such as tomatoes, marrows, potatoes and cabbages are cultivated in the garden at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. The children often use the produce in the school's food technology lab and surpluses are distributed to our ancillary.
Through our school garden, our students attain an empathy for their environment, learn how plants grow and study pollination. Students also understand the value of healthy eating and why vegetables are an important component of daily dietary requirements. This is reinforced at the lunch table, where our partnership with Michelin-awarded chef Gary Rhodes ensures that our students are aware of the origins of their food and develop manners as well through a unique school dining experience that combines healthy, delicious food with social skills and mealtime etiquette. All food served to our children is local and seasonal fare; it is 100 per cent wholesome, with no additives or food colourings and is organic, where possible.
Heather Mann is Principal, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park,
A Taaleem School