Mawnan School Nature Garden
Primary School of the Year in the Southwest 2026
Sunday Times Parent Power Guide
Established in 2021, this has been my passion project. I designed and fundraised for the creation of a nature garden at Mawnan School in Cornwall - borrowing an unused strip of playing field and transforming it into a tranquil garden to be used throughout the year.
In 2026 it was ranked Primary School of the Year by the Sunday Times, who cited the school garden as one of the school’s greatest assets.
“Our garden is at the heart of our school. It’s fully embedded into every aspect of our rich curriculum, from literacy to numeracy, science and the arts.” Jilly Pridmore, Headteacher
The sound of birdsong, the smell of blossom, the bursts of colourful wildflowers on the verge – I wanted to create a garden where the children, and wider village community, could feel the same inspiration, hope and joy we get from being outside in nature. An oasis where they could immerse themselves in the wonders of nature and feel a sense of calm; because, no matter how small, a pocket of green space within a school has the power to provide much needed respite from the confines of classroom learning.
The garden is well established now, and I am proud that it has become one of the school’s greatest assets - helping it to achieve celebrated status as Primary School of the Year in the Southwest 2026 by the Sunday Times.
As a volunteer I run a thriving after-school gardening club, teaching the children organic sustainable gardening skills, from making compost to nurturing seedlings, as well as encouraging the children to taste everything they grow. This garden is a hive of hands-on activities, where you can roll up your sleeves and get stuck into the natural world.