Peterborough primary school children have more than an apple a day

Peterborough primary school children have more than an apple a day with Kids Country!

School children from Braybrook Primary Academy, Peterborough, and Guyhirn C of E Primary School Guyhirn, learnt that there is much more to apples and pears with Kids Country – the educational arm of the East of England Agricultural Society – at their first ever ‘Autumn Apples and Pears’ events this October.

The ‘Autumn Apples and Pears’ event, supported by Central England Co-operative, Avalon, and Bellway Homes, made up a half day of activities and learning, including the history of British apples and pears, making apple bird feeders, and chatting with British apple farmers to understand more about how these wonderful fruits are grown in the UK and their nutritional benefits.

Children at Braybrook Primary Academy plant their apple and pear trees, donated by Bellway Homes

Rachel Clark, teacher at Braybrook Primary Academy, said: “The children thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience; not only did they find out about the history of the apple, but they also had the opportunity to sample a variety of apples, rating them on their overall taste and appearance.  Children who may not have liked apple before now do!

“Meeting a farmer enabled the children to learn about different soil types before planting an apple and pear tree in the school’s orchard.  The children were also able to share new learning with their families, as they all took home a baked apple and an apple bird feeder that they had made.  Overall, the children had a great afternoon and the knowledge they gained will stay with them for a long time to come!”

Thanks to fruit tree sponsors Bellway Homes, school children were able to plant an apple and a pear tree at each school, giving them a food education resource that will last for years to come. Local farmer Thomas Beazley also provided a bespoke wooden apple tree for the history part of the day.

Rhiannon Jones, Head of Sales for Bellway Eastern Counties, said: “It was our pleasure to be able to contribute towards the activity and to support Kids Country with a donation of trees to be planted at local schools in areas where we are committed to providing new housing.

“Sustainability is a hugely important topic for everyone, and so when the opportunity arose for Bellway to help with tree planting at local schools, we knew this would be a step in the right direction in supporting the campaign towards ecology benefits for all.”

Cooking with and taste testing apples at Braybrook Primary Academy

Tanya Noon, Member and Community Relations Officer at Central England Co-operative, said: “Our vision is to make a real difference for our members and their communities, and we thought that supporting the Kids Country ‘Autumn Apple and Pears’ event was a great way for young people to learn about health and wellbeing as well as the environment.”

Sandra Lauridsen, education manager at Kids Country, said: “We were thrilled to see this new event inspiring children to cook and eat more apples and pears, they are such an easy everyday source of nutrition, and readily available from our wonderful British farmers too. We would really like to thank the sponsors – Co-operative Central England, Bellway Homes, Avalon and Thomas Beazley for their contributions, enabling more children to benefit from an affordable and memorable food learning experience.”

If you have been inspired by the ‘Apples and Pears Day’, why not enter Kids Country’s popular annual ‘Winter Warmer Soup Challenge’, with entries open until 1^st November, this is another great opportunity to engage Key Stage 1 and 2 with food and where it comes from, as well as a shot at the £200 cash prize!

To book your place schools should complete the entry forms at Events – Kids Country (kids-country.co.uk)