Wildlife and well-being have always been at the centre of planning for the garden. Our students, many of whom are engaged by the climate change action movements, have been asking us to do even more as a school. Leaving spaces for nature and wildness is becoming more crucial for carbon sequestration and the garden is our own small contribution to that. Students have made bat and bird boxes to encourage biodiversity and sustainability is central to our lower school curriculum. The gardens have won a Wilder Kent award. 

The huge contribution made by the garden to student welfare was recognised in our ISI inspection: “Pupils demonstrate an excellent aesthetic appreciation of the visual arts and their natural surroundings. They appreciate the peace, greenery and wildlife of the surroundings within an urban setting and enjoy the gardens for relaxation and personal reflection.”

Dr Matthew McFall is an education consultant and practitioner with an interest in puzzles, games, mazes, labyrinths and escape rooms. He says: “Two words sum up what schools should do more of to raise achievement- cultivate wonderment.” Inspired by this, and the idea of the cabinet of curiosity, we are transforming our garden Tardis into a wonder box of extraordinary things. Think weird artefacts from nature, the arts, science and history which will hopefully provoke some why what where when and how questions and a few wows. We’ll be inviting prospective year 7 students to discover it when they visit for campus tours.