A garden created by pupils and staff at a Sale primary school with a starting budget of just £500 has been showcased nationally by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
St Anne’s Church of England School has been featured on the RHS website as an example of how schools can transform outdoor spaces to support children's wellbeing, encourage biodiversity and bring learning outside the classroom.
The school's 50-square-metre 'spiritual sanctuary' was created in 2022, turning a previously unused green space into a peaceful place for prayer, mindfulness, reflection and outdoor learning. Impressively, the garden costs just £100 a year to maintain and develop, thanks to the efforts of pupils, staff, families and the wider school community. The space now includes a sensory path, quiet seating areas, vegetable beds, wildlife-friendly planting and musical instruments, including a large xylophone and glockenspiel.
Pupils have helped shape the garden from the beginning, planting flowers and vegetables, building bug hotels, making bird feeders and creating habitats for wildlife. The garden also provides an outdoor setting for Religious Education and PSHE lessons, while growing activities help children understand where their food comes from.
The RHS praised the project, saying: "Today, the space balances beauty, functionality and sustainability."
It added that every pupil at St Anne's has had a voice in shaping the garden, which is designed to welcome children and visitors of all faiths and backgrounds.
Victoria Ruddy, climate and sustainability Llead at St Anne's, said: "The garden is a quiet area where everyone can reflect, pray or simply enjoy a calm moment outdoors, supporting pupils' spiritual, emotional and mental wellbeing.
"Our planting changes each year depending on what pupils are interested in, what is on the curriculum and what the seasonal growing conditions are, but we always aim to include a mix of sensory plants, fruit and vegetables and wildlife-friendly species."
The project is part of a wider commitment to sustainability at St Anne's, which has also earned a Plastic Free Schools award from environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage. Pupils have taken part in litter picks, helped eliminate single-use plastics from school trips and even written to major brands and councillors to raise concerns about plastic waste.
Trafford Council has congratulated the school on its national recognition, with Cllr George Devlin, Executive Member for Babies, Children and Young People, describing the garden as a "shining example" of what can be achieved when a school and its community work together.
