what are the benefits of growing food in schools? · firmly on the menu. furthermore, food growing...

Garden Organic | www.gardenorganic.org.uk | Registered Charity England & Wales (no. 298104), Scotland (SC046767)

Recent changes to Government policy on school food culture are far-reaching, with the School Food Plan, free infant school meals, and cooking in the curriculum for under-14s now all firmly on the menu. Furthermore, food growing is a cost effective-activity that yields a range of significant benefits for local authorities in five key areas: Health, Education, Community, Environment and Economy. This document provides a summary of the mounting evidence for each.

What are the benefits of growing food in

schools?Local communities

Image: Marketplace, City Hall, 2017. Credit Garden Organic.


Health: Food growing improves health and wellbeing

• Food growing in schools can have a profound positive health and wellbeing impact when used as part of place-based population health improvement strategies. A number of studies have shown that investment in community gardening including social prescribing of gardening is a highly cost-effective intervention that can yield many thousands of pounds worth of savings to health and social care services1.

Physical health

• Food growing in schools is a powerful prevention tool in tackling the obesity epidemic. Dietary attitudes and behaviours in childhood shape what children go on to eat in adulthood2. There is good evidence that food growing in schools improves pupils’ dietary attitudes and behaviours, specifically it leads to:

• Increased pupil recognition of fruit and vegetables and an increased willingness to try new fruit and vegetables;

• Increased variety and quantity of fruit and vegetables consumed by pupils3. Some studies have also shown improvements in BMI and waist circumference measurements4;

• Increased take-up of school meals, especially when food growing is integrated as part of a whole school approach to food. School provided school meals that meet School Food Standards have been shown to be significantly better nutritionally balanced than packed lunches5;

• Increased self-efficacy – pupils are better able to undertake growing and cooking activities and are so able to adopt health-supporting behaviours within and beyond their school6,7.

• Parents of pupils involved in food growing report a higher intake of fruit and vegetables as a result of their child’s participation.

• Food growing in schools can contribute to reducing health inequalities. Food poverty is linked to poor nutrition, including a lower consumption of fruit and vegetables8. Food growing in schools frequently increases local access to free and affordable fruit and vegetables.

• Food growing is a great way of getting children and their families to be physically active. In addition to the physical health benefits, higher levels of physical activity are also associated with improved classroom behaviour and attainment9.

Supporting mental health and wellbeing

• Food growing has been shown to boost the mental health and wellbeing of pupils. Many studies have found that pupils have increased confidence and self-esteem as a result of growing food in school10.

• Pupils get a sense of achievement, satisfaction and pride from growing, tending and harvesting their crops11, Image: Pooles Park Primary School, London borough of Islington


which contributes to a wider sense of well-being.

• A number of studies have made specific observations about the particularly beneficial impact for pupils with ADHD depression and other mental health conditions and children with behavioural and emotional difficulties12. Gardens can offer a place of peace or refuge that supports pupil well-being13. Teachers tell us that positive impacts experienced in the garden follow through into the classroom.

• The mental health benefits of gardening are well documented, including a reduction in anxiety and depression and improved social functioning14. Food growing in schools frequently creates opportunities for the wider community to get involved in growing. Some schools have used their gardens effectively to deliver mental health interventions to support pupils and their families15.

Education: Food growing in schools improves school standards and pupil attainment

• Teachers report that food growing complements and enriches the whole curriculum, well beyond the specific food-related requirements of the science and design and technology curricula16. This can lead to improved academic outcomes across a range of subjects, with strongest evidence for science learning outcomes17. There is also strong support from parents for food education in schools: over 90% of parents think it is important that schools teach children where their food comes from18.

• A number of studies report that the experiential nature of food growing is particularly valuable for pupils in creating meaning19 and added relevance to their classroom learning20. Furthermore, the use of food growing as a hands-on teaching approach has been shown to be more effective than other non-experiential strategies to improving nutritional knowledge and food behaviours21.

• Food growing has proved effective in promoting pupils’ attachment and engagement with their school and increased pupil motivation is also reported22. There is a strong association between school engagement and pupil attainment23.

• Many schools have found food growing has led to opportunities to build the reputation of their school, as a result of food growing awards and competitions, positive local media coverage and favourable Ofsted reviews. Twice as many primary schools received an Ofsted rating of Outstanding following their participation in the Soil Association Food For Life programme, which has a strong emphasis on food growing in schools24.

• Schools use food growing successfully to attract funding and resources, through competitions, sponsorship and funding schemes and business and voluntary sector partnerships. Around a quarter of schools involved in the Food Growing Schools London initiative said their food growing had enable them to make new or stronger links with local businesses and/or local voluntary organisations25.

• Because many schools engage parents and local community members in their food growing they also build their knowledge and skills.

Community: Food growing helps build strong cohesive communities

• Many schools have found that food growing is a really effective way to engage parents, grandparents and the wider community. Families and the community participate in direct food growing and cooking activities as well as plant and produce sales. Schools report food growing has been particularly helpful as a means of engaging groups they had previously found it challenging to involve, for example parents for whom English is not their first language26.

• Participation in school food growing is greatly enjoyed by volunteers who describe feeling valued and having a sense of belonging in the school27. This level of positive engagement helps build cohesive, resilient communities.


• Enthusiasm for school based food growing spills out into wider neighbourhoods, for example Phoenix School Farm and Learning Zone began life as a small school garden in 2007 and is now used equally by local residents, increasing their engagement with the school and access to organically grown food.

• Our research shows that gardens managed by schools are valued and protected by local communities even if they are off-site, with a very low rate of vandalism and theft28.

• Food growing is being pushed up the agenda of many local authorities and embedded into policy and planning frameworks29, for example the London Borough of Lambeth has recognised the value of growing spaces for community engagement, environmental outcomes and local food production and has prioritised them as part of their Local Plan30.

Environment: Growing food encourages pro-environmental behaviours and helps mitigate the impact of climate change

• Food growing increases local and global environmental awareness amongst pupils on a wide range of issues, including water conservation, composting, global environmental issues, sustainability and recycling, and reinforces a connection with nature31. 78.9% of respondents taking part in an evaluation of the Food Growing Schools: London initiative reported that pupils had become more aware of the wider environmental benefits of food growing32.

• There is a correlation between pro-environmental behaviours in childhood and adulthood33. Teaching pupils about the importance of recycling and giving them the skills to compost will help improve recycling rates and reduce landfill now and in the future. This will help deliver environmental and financial benefits to local authorities.

• Gardens reduce the impact of flooding in urban areas by improving overall ecosystem services. In a similar way, the shelter from cool winds and shade in summer provided by planting and growing reduces energy consumption34. School gardens are an important part of this green infrastructure.

Economy: Food growing boosts business

• Horticulture is an expanding part of the careers market, with over 300,000 people employed in the sector that contributes £9 billion to the UK economy35. Food growing helps bolster the employability of school leavers through enterprise and horticultural knowledge building. Food growing in schools enables pupils to gain appropriate skills by engaging e.g. through taking responsibility, planning ahead, crop management, delegating tasks and even honing entrepreneurial skills by selling food and produce at school markets. Image: Garden Organic

Image: Pooles Park School


1. Buck, D. 2016. Gardens and health: Implications for policy and practice, Kings Fund available at: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/field/field_publication_file/Gardens_and_health.pdf accessed 11/10/2017

2. Duncan, M.J. et al. 2015. The impact of a school-based gardening intervention on intentions and behaviour related to fruit and vegetable consumption in children. Journal of Health Psychology. 20, 765–773

3. Davis, J.N., Spaniol, M.R., Somerset, S., 2015. Sustenance and sustainability: maximizing the impact of school gardens on health outcomes. Public Health Nutrition. 18, 2358–2367

4. Davis, J.N. et al. 2016. LA Sprouts: A 12-Week Gardening, Nutrition, and Cooking Randomized Control Trial Improves Determinants of Dietary Behaviors. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48, 2–11.e1.

5. Evans, C.E.L., et al., 2010. A cross-sectional survey of children’s packed lunches in the UK: food- and nutrient-based results. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 64, 977–983.

6. Davis, J.N., Spaniol, M.R., Somerset, S.,. 2015. Sustenance and sustainability: maximizing the impact of school gardens on health outcomes. Public Health Nutrition 18, 2358–2367

7. Ratcliffe, M.M. et al. 2011. The Effects of School Garden Experiences on Middle School-Aged Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Associated With Vegetable Consumption. Health Promotion Practice 12, 36–43

8. Lambie-Mumford, H. et al. 2014. Household Food Security in the UK: A Review of Food Aid. Food Ethics Council and University of Warwick. Available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/283071/household-food-security-uk-140219.pdf accessed 11/10/2017

9. Brooks, F. 2014. The link between pupil health and wellbeing and attainment: A briefing for head teachers, governors and staff in education settings: available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370686/HT_briefing_layoutvFINALvii.pdf accessed 11/10/2017

10. Williams, D.R., and Dixon, P.S. 2013. Impact of Garden-Based Learning on Academic Outcomes in Schools: Synthesis of Research Between 1990 and 2010. Review of Educational Research, 83, 211–235

11. ibid12. Ohly, H. et al. 2016. A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health, 16,

28613. Block, K. et al. 2012. Growing Community: The Impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the Social and Learning Environment in Primary School Health

Education & Behavior, 39 (4) pp. 419 - 43214. Buck, D. 2016. Gardens and health: Implications for policy and practice, Kings Fund available at: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/field/field_publication_file/

Gardens_and_health.pdf accessed 11/10/201715. Page, A. Bremner, M., and Passy, R. 2017. School gardens ad the school food plan: contributing to a culture of healthy living in Waite, S. ed. Children Learning Outside the

Classroom, from birth to eleven. London: Sage16. Passy, R. 2012. School gardens: teaching and learning outside the front door, Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, DOI:10.1

080/03004279.2011.636371 17. Ibid18. Jamie Oliver Food Foundation (2017) A report on the Food Education Learning Landscape, available at https://drive.google.com/drive/

folders/0B6vmekGX5OPfTm9xMzc5VkpCUTg accessed 7/10/201719. Block, K. et al. 2012. Growing Community The Impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the Social and Learning Environment in Primary School Health

Education & Behavior, 39 (4) pp. 419 - 43220. Williams, D.R., Dixon, P.S. 2013. Impact of Garden-Based Learning on Academic Outcomes in Schools: Synthesis of Research Between 1990 and 2010. Review of Educational

Research 83, 211–23521. Dudley, D.A., Cotton, W.G., and Peralta, L.R., 2015. Teaching approaches and strategies that promote healthy eating in primary school children: a systematic review and meta-

analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 12(28).22. Ohly, H. et al. 2016. A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health 16,

28623. Brooks, F., 2014. The link between pupil health and wellbeing and attainment: A briefing for head teachers, governors and staff in education settings. Available at https://

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370686/HT_briefing_layoutvFINALvii.pdf accessed 11/10/201724. Orme, J., et al. 2011 Food For Life Partnership evaluation: full report. Project Report. University of the West of England, Bristol.25. Jones M, Pitt H, and Weitkamp E. 2017. Food Growing Schools: London. Final Evaluation Report. UWE Bristol.26. Block, K. et al. 2012. Growing Community The Impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the Social and Learning Environment in Primary School Health

Education & Behavior, 39 (4) pp. 419 - 43227. Ohly, H. et al. 2016. A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health 16,

28628. Ibid29. Sustain .2014. Planning sustainable cities for community food growing. Sustain, London. Available at https://www.sustainweb.org/secure/PlanningSustainableCities.pdf

accessed 11/10/201730. London Borough of Lambeth. 2015. Lambeth Local Plan. Available at https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pl-lambeth-local-plan-2015-web.pdf accessed

11/10/201731. Ohly, H. et al. 2016. A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health 16,

28632. Jones M, Pitt H, and Weitkamp, E. 2017. Food Growing Schools: London. Final Evaluation Report. UWE Bristol.33. Ohly, H. et al. 2016. A systematic review of the health and well-being impacts of school gardening: synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. BMC Public Health 16,

28634. Cameron, R.W.F.,et al. 2012. The domestic garden - Its contribution to urban green infrastructure. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 11(2) pp. 129-13735. Royal Horticultural Society. 2014. Horticulture Matters 2014. Available at https://www.rhs.org.uk/Education-Learning/PDF/Training/1016-RHS-Hort-Careers-Brochure-V8

accessed 11/10/201736. Sustain. 2013. A Growing Trade: A guide for community groups that want to grow and sell food for our towns and cities. Available at https://www.sustainweb.org/

publications/a_growing_trade/ accessed 11/10/201737. Page, A. 2012. Food Growing in Schools Taskforce Report, available at https://www.foodgrowingschools.org/resources/files/FGIS%20main%20report%20for%20www.PDF

accessed 11/10/2017

• The food growing start-up economy is significant for communities where such initiatives flourish, with commercial sales of locally grown food increasing through the establishment of allotment/city farm-based community businesses for example local food provision through the ‘veg box’ phenomenon36.

• Businesses involved in food growing in schools report that it helps them to raise awareness of their products and build links between them and the local community, which is good for customer recruitment and retention37.

• Food growing in schools also generates local jobs and training opportunities.

what are the benefits of growing food in schools? · firmly on the menu. furthermore, food growing...

Documents