To find us, come up the stairs or use the ramp,' reads the sign that greets visitors to Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre, which is sited in an unenviable position on top of garages and encircled by tower blocks in Kennington, central London. But a big surprise awaits those visitors - nursery staff have maximised the potential of every metre of the formerly bleak tarmac roof area and transformed it into an imaginative and stimulating garden. Within earshot of Big Ben striking the hours, children delight in searching for minibeasts, reading in the shade of the trees and growing fruit and vegetables.
'It's a bit like a goldfish bowl,' laughs headteacher Glenda King. 'Everyone from the surrounding tower blocks can look down on us and watch the children play and explore. The local residents, too, all get the benefit of our beautiful garden.
'Children can sit down in the outdoor area and chill out; it's especially lovely in the summer. It is a really nice space where children can be themselves and have peace and quiet and not be bothered by adults - children need that. A lot of the children who come to the nursery do not have gardens themselves so it is an oasis for them. It gives us a good vantage point from which to look out to the sky.'
There is free flow between the nursery building and the garden, which is available whatever the weather, enabling the children to appreciate the changing seasons.
Flora and fauna
The outdoor area has been lovingly developed over many years with the help of local charity Roots and Shoots, which provides vocational training for young people with learning disabilities, and environmental education to the wider community. Horticulture specialists from the charity have helped to carefully design the garden, overcoming major issues such as load bearing above the garages - heavy items, such as trees, have to be positioned above the building's pillars - and selecting plants that will survive specialist conditions, such as growing Silver Birch trees which will thrive in shallow soil.
'The environment can be very windy, it's like a wind tunnel at times as the wind rushes through the tower blocks,' explains Ms King. 'Some of the plants can suffer wind damage. For anything to survive is pretty amazing.' However, the flower beds are full of pansies, anemones, irises and nasturtiums, and the children have fun hiding in tall bamboo which rustles in the wind making a musical noise. 'We go to Roots and Shoots with the children to buy plants and take a wheelbarrow,' Ms King adds. 'They love choosing the Christmas tree each year.'
At the beginning of each school year staff take the new children and parents to the Roots and Shoots garden and environmental centre, just a five-minute walk away. 'We want to flag up the activities that are happening in their area and make sure that the families have the opportunity to benefit from them,' Ms King says.
'We think being outside is very important for the children's health and for teaching about conservation and the natural world.' The children take part in activities at Roots and Shoots such as beekeeping.
Green shoots
The nursery's outdoor area also gives them numerous opportunities to learn while they play. The children grow lots of fruit and vegetables which are used when they are cooking. Recently they baked redcurrant tarts with nursery-grown produce.
Complementing the flower beds are lots of pots, many of which are a case of 'wait and see' as children experiment, such as the clementines they have grown from pips. There are also strawberry plants in pots on the walls, potatoes thriving in sacks, and sage, rosemary and thyme growing in planters. The children are encouraged to smell and pick the herbs to compare the different scents, textures and leaves.
Ms King adds, 'We are careful to say to children that they should never pick things unless they have been told that they can do so, especially red berries. It is important that they learn that some plants are poisonous and we don't pick them unless we are with an adult.'
Apple trees create endless wonder as the children see the blossom bloom, the petals drop off and the fruit grow until it is big enough to harvest and make into apple pie. A salad garden with rocket, lambs lettuce, pak choi, cress and tomatoes also appeals to the children and helps with the nursery's healthy eating message. 'We have had some real problems encouraging the children to eat salad, but have found that if we grow it ourselves then they are more than happy to eat it,' Ms King says. 'They are actively learning about where their food comes from - that it isn't just from a packet in Tesco.'
Children's awareness of recycling is also nurtured in the outdoor area. They water the plants with rain water caught in water butts and compost fruit and vegetable matter in a wormery, not to mention the objects that are imaginatively recycled, such as an old sink, which houses flowers.
Natural world
Amid the plethora of pots and plants are resources including a sand and water play area, a climbing frame and bikes. Clangers and chimes are fixed on a wall while other bland walls have been brightened up with murals painted by the children, supported by a community artist. Quieter corners have cushions, books and puppets and the children can wend their way in and around the plants.
But they're not the only ones hiding away. On careful inspection blackbirds can be found resting in the ivy and there are bird boxes which have housed fledglings in the past. 'We've done the best we can with the area and there is nature here,' stresses Ms King. This is confirmed by a boy who excitedly rushes up to show off the worm that he has just found in the digging area.
The children look at the soil and use magnifying glasses to inspect the creatures that they find, with a basket of books at hand to help identify the different insects and learn about them. Recently children have been reading Ruth Brown's Snail Trail and some are now absorbed in watching snails slowly move around black builder's trays and examining the slippery trails they leave behind.
Ms King says, 'Every year we focus on minibeasts and rear caterpillars to watch them pupate. We keep a diary of their progress. Our yearly ritual is to sing butterfly songs and let them off into the big, wide world.' Some do return to this city centre haven, lured by the buddleia that has been planted especially to attract them.
Further information
Roots and Shoots, www.rootsandshoots.org.uk
