Our Independent Living Skills group at Northfield Centre have been organising their very own garden party since April.
Throughout the course, our SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) learners planted a variety of seeds. They used the photos on the seed packets to visualise the plant that would grow, and read the instructions on the packets to learn about sowing depths and conditions.
Another Independent Living group got involved in producing advertising posters for the event. The learners were very environmentally conscious, they used old bubble wrap to insulate and retain moisture for the seed trays, and old pots and trays were washed and reused. The Centre’s compost heap provided rich humus to fill the garden's raised bed which, the group filled with their Cosmos, Courgette, Sunflower and Chrysanthemum seedlings.
The Big Day
On Monday 4th July, local residents, learners and staff attended Northfield’s Garden Party, where learners had a range of plants available for purchase. We were delighted to welcome so many people from the local community. The event was also an opportunity to showcase some of the great work that happens within the centre.
The learners practised their communication skills, talking to visitors whilst selling a wide range of plants. Their English, maths and money-handling skills were used to recognise the plants, find the right name on the price list, add up the total cost, count the cash and calculate change.
The sow and grow group raised over £65 for charity, thanks to the hard work of everyone involved.
“The Garden Party was a really fun event for the learners and staff at Northfield Centre. We have enjoyed watching our learners piece together this event, with lots of ideas being shared along the way. The garden looks beautiful and it was great to see our learners gain valuable skills, whilst also bringing a new lease of life into our garden!” – Teresa Busby, Northfield Centre Manager.
Birmingham Adult Education Service aims to enable students with learning disabilities and difficulties to progress into further education, employment or training in an environment which is safe, secure and supportive. We are so proud of the achievements our Northfield classes we wish them all the best on their future endeavours.
If you believe you or someone you care for would benefit from joining a SEND course with us we have a wide range of SEND courses running from September 2022.
For further details call 0121 303 4318 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
