Manor Green Oasis

Our Vision

Our vision is to green Manor Infant School and Nursery and nurture the children's curiosity about the living world,  as well as develop their understanding of climate change and their part in preventing it.

The children are so excited to see more nature around the school! They want to look after the plants, grow fruit and vegetables, and of course to see the bugs, birds and other animals the new plants will attract.

We would love you to help us achieve this by donating to our Crowdfunder page!

Our Aim

We have planted 500 whips (small trees) donated by Trees for Cities and 20 fruit trees donated by Charles Dickens Orchards to create a wildlife haven around the perimeter of the school but we want to do so much more...

• To involve all families in the nursery and school in growing and harvesting plants
• To link up the local community with our greening project 
• To develop havens for wildlife and support pollinators
• To help our kids understand and tackle climate change 
• To develop a gardening legacy that will continue for many years to come
• To create a clean air barrier around the school grounds

What will we do?

Manor Infant and Nursery School has amazing potential to be a wildlife haven. We will plant wildlife-friendly plants, fruit bushes, vegetables and trees and install bird boxes and bug hotels. 

As well as this, we will set up a green fingers club to support children and families to grow their own food and flowers at home.

The greener outdoor spaces will be used for children to learn about nature and will provide exciting new opportunities to teach literacy, mathematics, science and arts subjects. 

They will provide calm spaces to support child wellbeing and spaces where staff, parents and children can meet to talk about the challenges facing the planet and how we respond.   

Engaging The Local Community

We want to share the green spaces with local residents and community groups; this will be through one-off events such as an environmental activity day and also ongoing initiatives like community gardeners working alongside the children to look after the trees and raised beds.

We already had a very successful Big Dig where members of the local community planted over 500 trees with the school community to create a wildlife fence around the perimeter of the school.

How Will The Money Be Used?

Our target is to raise £6,000. This is how we will spend it:  

Our first priority is raised beds! We need approximately £2 000 to build 20 raised beds around the school for children and families to access. These will be outside all the classrooms and in a large empty space that is currently unused. Approximately £2,500 is earmarked for plants, seeds, bulbs, climbing plants and trees for the wildlife garden, school grounds and building.   

Raised beds will be filled with wildlife attracting plants that interest the children because of their scent, colour, fruit, texture or sound.

This planting forms the backbone of the greening ambition, firstly to increase the wildlife within the school grounds, but also to bring benefits to the students, staff and community. 

Tools and Equipment

£1,000 will be used for tools and equipment.    Tools will include forks, spades, hand tools, gardening gloves, wellies, and kneeling mats, for adults and children. 

We will buy and set up shade sails to make sure the children can get outside on even the hottest days.  

Homes For Wildlife

£500 is earmarked for bird boxes, bat boxes and bug hotels which will be placed around the school and its trees.  Local experts and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Wilder Portsmouth team are supporting the school to help us make the most of the spaces we have available.