Sharing the magic of composting in schools

It can be terrifying standing at the front of a class of 30 school children to talk about composting. But when you ask them “who likes magic?” - and every hand shoots up into the air - you know you’re onto a winner.

Thirty years on from when I left school, I still love magic and never cease to feel the wonder of it in nature. Although I now understand the science behind the natural world, I still feel a sense of wonder and awe when an embryonic leaf unfurls from its seed case - transforming into something that will later nourish my family.

The same sense of amazement (and achievement) fills me when I lift the lid of my compost bin. And every time I find the detritus of last year’s harvest transformed into crumbly brown compost - ready to feed the garden before it feeds me.

So when the Shropshire Good Food Partnership asked me to help schools in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin learn how to compost, I jumped at the chance. The idea of helping to turn their food waste into something useful as part of a Schools Food Web Programme – would help spread a little more of that magic across the county.

Our school composting workshops

It was quite an epic task to arrange the workshops. In just a few short months, we needed to teach 20 schools how they could recycle their food waste and cardboard into compost. And help them set up systems to ensure that they could embed it into their school routine.

With the help of our wonderful Garden Organic associates Rob and Caroline - and some of our fabulous Shropshire Master Composter volunteers - between September and February, we helped more than 500 children understand the science behind the magic of composting.

Using games, stories, microscopes, puppets and treasure hunts, they learnt how they could turn fruit peelings, paper towels and cardboard boxes into compost. And how they could use this in their school gardens to increase biodiversity, reduce waste and lock carbon into the soil. They discovered all the creatures that appear in compost, and their important roles as decomposers. Plus, what can and can’t go into a bin, how to speed the process up and deal with any problems.

What’s next?

Many of the schools are now implementing their own schemes to continue composting. Church Preen School, near Much Wenlock, is planning to elect ‘compost heroes’ from the student body to champion composting across the school. It will introduce a small compost bin in each classroom and the staff area, to contribute to its vegetable garden.

My hope is that we have planted lots of seeds in fertile young minds, which will grow with them throughout their lives. Understanding where their food comes from and how to support nature is an increasingly important life skill.

Ten-year-old Marnie made me smile; when her teacher asked what they should do next. "We should tell all the parents about how bad they are at composting and show them how to do it,” she said. You go Marnie; let’s get those parents believing in the magic of nature again!

Tap into free resources for your school

We have lots of information on our website to support growing and composting in Schools. We also provide bespoke consultancy and growing sessions, and have additional online courses, which schools can purchase directly or with the support of grants.

The Local Schools Nature Grants Scheme, for example, allows early years, infant, primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland & Wales to apply for £500 worth of outdoor resources - plus a two-hour training session.

We're delighted that through this programme, made possible by the People's Postcode Lottery, we can share our resources for schools - including a growing and cooking advice pack, online training about how to grow food in schools, and Garden Organic membership.

Apply now Deadline is 4 April, 2025.