I am proprietor and founder of Growing Outside, and as a mum of four children and having been Schools Manager for the ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, I am absolutely passionate about children receiving an engaging, creative education. My love of gardening and all things natural has led me to the realisation that the outdoor environment is the ideal place to teach not only a valuable life skill, but also the majority of the National Primary curriculum in a way which all children find highly memorable and fun.
My role at the RHS – managing and promoting their educational work with schools across the UK, gave me the opportunity at a very high level to understand the barriers schools face when trying to implement sustainable outdoor learning.
During this time I visited over 100 schools nationwide, some pinnacles of excellence through their attainment based on a largely outdoors curriculum. I spoke to countless Head Teachers, teachers and pupils to better understand their wants and needs.
This led me to co-ordinate, write and re-design many schools resources along with CPD and pupil workshops to enable more outdoor learning, developing best practice for working closely with schools and their curriculum.
Combined with my experience as a Garden Designer, and becoming the Children’s Gardening columnist for the Garden News Magazine, I am now determined to offer the benefits of Outdoor Learning to as many schools as possible through Growing Outside.
Mandy Morrison
Fabulous stuff! What a great chance for children to get outside, and off screens!