At The Soil Yard, we are promoting a love of learning that includes food and nature that is good for students, and good for the planet.

About us…

At The Soil Yard we understand the importance of putting food and nature within the heart of the curriculum and school experience. We promote learning experiences linked to food and nature within all aspects of our curriculum. Learning about the natural world is more than a single subject specific lesson a week, or an opt in extra curricula offering - it is integrated into everything.

Our initiative started 6 years ago when we decided to take charge of our school lunches and provide our own in-house vegetarian food. Since then, our success and the impact of nutritional and great tasting food on our students has widened our scope, and now the kitchen is at the heart of our school and learning.

The philosophy behind our move to vegetarian food was that we can provide an educational experience, showing the importance of sustainability, introducing the students to alternatives as well as giving them a fully inclusive dining experience. We consider good nutrition to be essential to the health and wellbeing of the students and our school meals are freshly prepared in our own kitchen using top quality wholesome ingredients. For example, we do not use any pre-produced sauces. We are committed to supporting suppliers who grow vegetables for flavour using regenerative farming methods. This year we are pleased to showcase produce from Natoora, Wildfarmed and Neal’s Yard. All of our meals meet nutritional guidelines and have been verified by a nutritionist. We aim to source more local products and fruits and vegetables that are in season and so fresher and more economical.

This year we are also taking a bigger step towards producing our own food using regenerative farming methods. Our Greenside garden thrives and, thanks to the help of our students and family volunteers, we are increasingly able to supply the kitchen with fresh vegetables throughout the year.

We love our garden and this year we are learning to love our soil. Our big idea here is that we will look at how we can improve the quality and condition of the soil in our growing garden in order to grow the most flavoursome and nutritionally rich produce we can whilst respecting the environment. 

To do this, we have launched a year long whole school science project designed to deepen student understanding of both scientific study and of the environment. All of our students will be involved. We will begin by testing our soil and having it analysed so we can see the levels of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus etc along with its ability to store carbon and water. Over the year our students will plant specific cover crops to boost nitrogen and carbon storage and monitor the impact of what we are doing is having on weed growth and management of pests. Students will record the results of the tests that we carry out and compare them with other results across the year. At the end of the year we hope to have improved the quality of our soil and grow flavourful, nutritionally rich produce.