The Therapy Garden

We are indebted to The Equitable Charitable Trust  which is our main Sponsor for this project. Funding is also generously provided by The Wates Foundation and Surrey Community Foundation.

The students have needs such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, emotional and behavioural difficulties, physical difficulties, Down syndrome, delayed fine and gross motor skills, delayed numeracy and literacy skills, hydrocephalus, cerebral ataxia, hemiplegia, oppositional defiant disorder and global development delay. The course uses practical horticultural tasks as a means of enabling these students to obtain an entry-level, basic skills qualification accredited by City & Guilds. Students attend for a full school year and outcomes include improvements in general learning and social skills, in an environment that the formal classroom situation cannot always give. The schools value the provision we provide and make a contribution of £30 a day for each student. All of the students in last year’s Green School either continued their studies at school or went into further education, and we have been told by one member of staff, “The Therapy Garden forms the bridge between school life and college, and the course has had a great effect in developing the self-confidence of the students.” One of our past students has recently returned to tell us that, following his course at the local Merrist Wood Agricultural College, he has been employed on a part-time basis by a local horticultural company and he has offered to return to us one day a week as a volunteer, helping in the garden.

For this academic year, in addition to the course we already run for special needs students, we are working in partnership with one particular special school where all the students have a statement of special educational needs for moderate learning difficulties. We are running an additional "Skills for Working Life - Horticulture" course for 12 of these students, with the aim for them all to achieve an ‘Award’ at the end of the first year. The Equitable Charitable Trust is currently “Green School’s” main sponsor and has supported this initiative since it began.

Application for places

“Green School” is for 14-18 year olds who have special needs and works towards the City & Guilds National Proficiency Test Council’s ‘Skills for Working Life’ qualification.

Any Special or Mainstream secondary school is able to apply for places for special needs pupils at the “Green School”. The course takes place on a Tuesday and runs for the complete school year. The cost is £32 per pupil per day, with fees payable termly in advance.

Any parent who would like to enrol their son or daughter on the course should, in the first instance, contact his or her school. If the school’s agrees to the student attending, but cannot fund the place, it is possible for parents to self-fund a place for their child.