WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT MOULSECOOMB PRIMARY?

At the beginning of every school year Moulsecoomb Primary Year 1 pupils visit the forest garden to plant garlic and hunt around for bugs and food. But this isn’t a one off environmental message, the school ethos is all about outside learning. Both Year 1 teachers have a small space outside their classes where they grow food and one has even planted a wildflower meadow which is fighting with the dandelions for attention. They’ve had lessons on everything from composting to chickens as well as taking part in the fantastic Heritage and Environment Festival. In fact the school grounds need to be seen to be believed and when I hear about parents scrabbling for school places in Hove I reckon they are missing a trick not considering the school (ok i’m biased, my son goes there and i’m a parent-governor but it really is fantastic; just get over your prejudices about Moulsecoomb). The fact is many children learn best by doing and who wants to be stuck in the classroom all day when you can have a Maths or English lesson in the Fairytale Forest? Or learn about geography in the World Garden? Or World War II in the Anderson shelter? It’s about bringing learning to life. Yesterday those same Year 1 pupils came up to harvest their very fine looking garlic, cook pizzas in the clay oven, pick fruit and pod peas. Today the fruit will be turned into a milkshake thanks to the new smoothie bike built by the dads and their kids in the Super Dads club.