My potentially great idea!

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Now that's the sort of idea that would be a good use for this greenhouse.

In this day and age, I would tend to think food should be favoured over foliage - in view of the tales we read about some pupils coming to school hungry. But the general concept is good.

I think it's more important that what's grown interests the prime mover(s) in a project like that.

If kids come to school hungry in this country, it's usually due to a chaotic lifestyle, which no amount of communal carrots will put right.

lisa110rry

Actually, I was kidding about not liking children. Just goes to show you can't express some things in Times New Roman. I used to be a Registered Child Minder, was Manager for several years of a Lancashire County teens select rugby union team (and arranged all their tours and kept a watchful eye on them in the hotel).

I haadn't thought of an after hours gardening club. I thought it would be impossible for me to teach/encourage as I work full time. I would love to see a dozen or more grow bags, carefully named, and ditto hanging baskets so that each child would understand where food comes from, though if they don't know in our village then hope is lost. We are an agricultural community whence much very high quality veg emanates, second in England I believe for tomatoes. And the local new potatoes are to die for. At a certain time in the year the whole village smells of celery.

I would also love to see a community group using this greenhouse. Alternatively, I would be content to pay rent. But my hobby is growing, not necessarily eating the produce, and beig a family of two, we would only need about 10% of the produce and the rest could be given away, sold to raise school funds or given to the school cafeteria as I hate to see waste.

Incidentally, it definitely had nothing to do with rural studies. I've lived in the village for 28 years and know when it was erected - in the 90s.

malebolge

Although I can see that you have good intentions, as an ex-teacher and school governor, I can see many pitfalls, as others have pointed out. Tbh, if it was brought up at a meeting, I'd vote no, I'm afraid.
The first problem is you being on school grounds. You have said that it would be when the children aren't in school, but that in itself poses problems. The schools I know (yours may be different of course) have high security and it is impossible to get onto the site without electronic passes. At night there is the added security of gate locks etc. Thing is, schools have valuable equipment (computers etc) and it would be irresponsible to allow people on site out of school hours. It would also put you in a vulnerable position - imagine that, whilst you were in the greenhouse, someone broke in and stole equipment. There's also the whole safety issue - if you hurt yourself, or if you allowed someone in with you and they were hurt.
The school canteens I know have private contracts for school dinners so offering to donate veg wouldn't be practical.
The last school I worked at had what I think is a similar large greenhouse. It was used as part of a lifeskills course, but constraints made by the national curriculum meant that the classes stopped. For a while a teacher did run an after school class but it stopped when he left. In the end it was pulled down when there was redevelopment.
It's a good idea until you start looking at all the implications, sadly.

moneyistooshorttomention

Don't know how many schools have these high-security precautions these days? Its been many years since I went to school now and I'm not sure all of them would be like Fort Knox these days?

This is where I would still see it as possible for something to happen - even if they are Fort Knox-like - because maybe the greenhouse is in a different part of the grounds/maybe a named person could be given responsibility for ensuring things are secure.

I still think there could be possibilities - IF it was a community thing and with a Named Responsible Person and maybe an alternative way to gain access to the greenhouse would be possible, even if that school had also been turned into Fort Knox. So IF it was a community venture (and not just one persons private thing....) then hopefully a way could be found to ensure the community wouldn't be prevented from benefitting because of peoples 21st century fears re the "odd few loonies".

Of course, we are assuming its a State School here. It may not be. I'm picturing the school I've most recently had a tour around and there was none of the Fort Knox stuff going on there and community involvement as a whole would probably be welcome - ie its a Steiner School - and things are very different there.

arbrighton

MOneyistooshorttomention, if you read the OP is says state school (academy).

And yes security usually is that tight these days, in order to meet ever increasingly strict regulations about safeguarding. Last school I was working in, we signed in and out each day and had an electronic pass to get beyond reception. Visitors wouldn't be allowed anywhere unaccompanied.

I can't see this being a goer, with the security/safeguarding issues, whether real or envisaged.

suejb2

Can you make them an offer and buy it off them?

moneyistooshorttomention

suejb2 wrote: »

Can you make them an offer and buy it off them?

Wouldn't that mean OP had bought the land the greenhouse is on, as well as the greenhouse itself, iyswim?

I cant see the school selling off some of their land - because it would then be unavailable for anything else they might require it for in the future.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Wouldn't that mean OP had bought the land the greenhouse is on, as well as the greenhouse itself, iyswim?

I cant see the school selling off some of their land - because it would then be unavailable for anything else they might require it for in the future.

think you are totally off the mark, schools are selling off any surplus land and even playing fields to raise money, as councils are cutting back big time... schools are merging to try and save the pennies...


nice idea, but as an individual don't think it would be aloud/work, but poss a community enterprise??? BUT again up to school and govenors, plus could the greenhouse area be sectioned off from the school??

Davesnave

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

think you are totally off the mark, schools are selling off any surplus land and even playing fields to raise money, as councils are cutting back big time... schools are merging to try and save the pennies...

I think the suggestion was possibly to buy the greenhouse not the land. Land is worth a lot more to developers.

A few far-seeing people at our school saw sell-offs coming, way back in the 1970s, so planted a conservation area using local authority funds. The trees are still there, almost an acre of them They all have TPOs.

The county did take half a playing field, but at least they built a health centre on it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Davesnave wrote: »

I think the suggestion was possibly to buy the greenhouse not the land. Land is worth a lot more to developers.

A few far-seeing people at our school saw sell-offs coming, way back in the 1970s, so planted a conservation area using local authority funds. The trees are still there, almost an acre of them They all have TPOs.

The county did take half a playing field, but at least they built a health centre on it.

Good thinking there;):rotfl:. Always wise to be one step ahead if possible. The "authorities"/way things are going in Society are always much slower-moving than one or two fleet-footed individuals in these cases.