Video Diary

Watch the progress of the team as they put their plan into action.

Introduction to the project

Meet the team

Overview

Long Road gardens and exhibition project

Long Road provides a high quality education in a structured but friendly and open environment. Students at Long Road are treated and respected as individuals. They are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own learning with the support and encouragement of teaching staff, so the College is an effective 'half-way house' between school and higher education, employment or training. Long Road is popular, welcoming students with a wide range of ability, the majority of whom go on to achieve grades higher than would be predicted by their GCSE results.

The project team will plant a chronological bed with plants of scientific and historical significance and an art bed with plants used to make art (e.g. dyes and weaving). Throughout the project teachers will develop resources for using the beds in lessons and students will develop displays about the plants for an exhibition as the project finale. Science students will prepare displays of the remarkable adaptations and life history the plants, art students will create artworks using the plants and history students will prepare displays on the historical significance of the plants.

The judges commented, "This is an innovative idea that has a good potential to extend pupils learning. The team is strong with good links to botanical gardens specialising in scientific research. The proposal offers good cross-curricular activities which are often ignored at this level."

Each of the Finalist Teams are given the support of a mentor when they begin to implement their proposal. Click here to find out about the mentors.