A SAFFRON Walden school has been chosen by the Royal Horticultural Society to be a ‘Flagship Gardening School’ – one of only eight across the region.

Dame Bradbury’s inclusion comes on the back of its success with the RHS Campaign for School Gardening.

Working closely with Chrishall Primary, which has also been named a Flagship School, Dame Bradbury’s will host workshops for teachers from other schools to highlight best practice in school gardening.

Gardening at the school is led by Elizabeth Bicknell, a primary school teacher, garden designer and an accredited teacher of Forest School, which is an innovative educational approach to outdoor play and learning.

Mrs Bicknell has now started Forest School for Dame Bradbury’s Nursery. The School’s Reception children already go to Forest School in Little Walden each week and all other year groups get the chance of sessions during the year.

Alison Findlay, the RHS East of England regional adviser for the Campaign for School Gardening, attended the first Nursery Forest School session, where the children had a wonderful time painting with mud, helping each other on the swing and learning to climb trees safely.

After the session, she said it had been a privilege to work with Mrs Bicknell, and praised her “great wealth of experience”.