A good lesson to learn at The Plant Plot
A Lichfield family, the Flinthams, have taken the unusual step of choosing to home-educate their 3 daughters. Lily (7), Izzy (4) and Marnie (2) love learning ‘at home’ and make the most of the facilities that are on our door-step to help them in their studies, ironically not actually spending much time at home at all!
Parents, Esther and James, take their lead from the girls and dedicate their time to helping them find out about the world around them – how does that work, where does that come from, how do we do this? The questions that are asked prompt visits to all kinds of public places that will help them learn. One of the key elements of their studies in 2010 was the use of the Plant Plot’s model allotment where the family worked together as volunteers most weekends.
The Plant Plot is based on the north side of Lichfield. Owners, Dave and Diana Muir are huge advocates of ‘growing your own’ and actively encourage customers to have a go at growing their own produce. “It is simple – you plant something, look after it and at least 9 times out of 10, you’ll have a good crop” enthused Dave Muir. “We try to keep it simple and show our customers that growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs is easy and rewarding”. So much so that The Plant Plot converted an acre of disused land into a model allotment where visitors to the garden centre can see how to grow things, look after chickens and even try their hand through the volunteer programme.
The Flintham family are regular customers to The Plant Plot and the chance to learn how to grow vegetables was an opportunity that James really wanted to make the most of. They had seen the invitation to come and be part of the project in the centre’s newsletter, Snippets, and asked the owners if the whole family could join in.
James said, “As our garden is so small, we had not been able to grow our own vegetables and show the girls where food really comes from. Diana and David have been great. They provided the expertise, tools and equipment, seeds, good compost - everything. The other people using the allotment were really friendly and welcoming and although there weren't any other children there the kids were very much included in the group. We went almost every Sunday from April to September, planting and tending the vegetables and then taking them home to eat. The girls recognise all sorts of vegetables now, although they don’t necessarily eat them all! It has been great to see the look on their faces when they have pulled something out of the ground that they have grown simply by watering.” The girls often ask if what they’re eating has been grown themselves and Esther and James love it when they can answer ‘yes’!
The family use other local resources to help with their children’s education. Lichfield library is visited two or three times a week, Erasmus Darwin House and other local museums, and the family also travels farther afield to places in Stafford and Birmingham for trips out. “We concentrate on craft based activities a lot” explained Esther. “We like the children to express themselves through being creative in a variety of ways, not just by writing in traditional books.”
During our interview, eldest daughter Lily was watching a David Attenborough DVD and was enjoying drawing the animals it featured, including a stoat and a fox. The family doesn’t follow a set timetable but covers a variety of ‘subjects’ through the projects they undertake. For example, the allotment work includes elements of physical activity, problem solving, teamwork, biology, nutrition and creativity to name just a few. Working together at The Plant Plot was one of the best things they’ve done as a family as they were all able to benefit from it.
“Other families should definitely think about using something like the allotment scheme at the Plant Plot,” said James. “It is a great thing to do together. You meet other people and feel a real sense of community. We really appreciate all the time, effort and expertise put in by David and Diana. I even know about leaving some Jerusalem Artichokes in the ground so that they grow again next year. I had never even seen a Jerusalem Artichoke before!” he finished.
The family is also part of a home-school network where other families who have chosen home schooling can get together and support each other. When the family initially embarked on it, they lived in Birmingham where the concept is more common. They now use an online group to continue to be part of the network for inspiration and support.
“We have great friends and neighbours so the children see plenty of other children” commented Esther. “We are lucky enough to have Polish neighbours and all the girls play with their son a lot. As a result they can communicate in Polish - particularly Marnie who is the youngest - understanding much of what is said and even talking a little herself” she finished. The Flintham family are a living testament indeed that there is a lot to learn wherever we are and that being educated out of school is a viable, interesting option.