Garden Living Direct BlogGarden living news in the UK

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) published new research this week that shows what an “enormous impact” gardening has on the “wellbeing, learning and development” of children.

The RHS revealed that studies carried out as part of its Gardening in Schools – A vital tool for children’s learning programme had shown for the first time that participation in Gardening can improve a child’s happiness levels and boost their development. Preliminary results showed that children in schools that had some form of gardening as an activity were more “more resilient, confident and lived healthier lives.”

RHS director of science and learning Dr Simon Thornton Wood commented: “As the new coalition government considers a new approach to the primary curriculum, we hope they acknowledge the striking conclusions of our research and that gardens enable a creative, flexible approach to teaching that has significant benefits.”

“Schools which integrate gardens into the curriculum are developing children who are much more responsive to the challenges of adult life.”

The new report was commissioned by the RHS and carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), which surveyed 1,300 teachers and visited 10 different schools from the heart of London to a Yorkshire village.

NFER highlighted the new “3 Rs” that gardening in schools helped to develop – “resilient,” “ready to learn” and “responsible” children. It said that these 3 Rs were most readily learnt when gardening was used as a teaching tool rather than just as an extra-curricular activity.

National Children’s Bureau chairwoman Gillian Pugh commented: “Not only does gardening provide opportunities for increasing scientific knowledge and understanding, and improving literacy, numeracy and oracy, but this report shows that it also improves pupils’ confidence, resilience and self-esteem.”