Cleaning Preparing Visiting

Overview

This lesson is the second in a five-lesson unit focused on "Creating a School Garden." Students will complete cleaning and preparation of the garden space and then visit a local garden centre to select tools, pots, and seeds to implement their garden design plan.

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National Curriculum Links

• KS3 Design and Technology: Plants and sustainability
• Understand how to prepare and maintain environments for plants to grow effectively.
• Apply practical skills in real-world contexts.
• Explore environmental impact of plant choices and materials.
• KS3 Science: Biology - Interdependence, ecosystems, and plants
• Understand plant growth requirements and conditions.
• Link plant choices to environmental factors such as light and soil conditions.
• PSHE: Health and wellbeing
• Engage in practical tasks promoting responsibility and teamwork.
• Outdoor learning and therapeutic education
• Develop social, emotional, and physical skills through hands-on outdoor activity.

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT complete the deep cleaning and preparation of our school garden space to create a safe, productive growing area.
• WALT select appropriate pots, planters, and seeds from a garden centre, linked to our agreed design plan.
• WALT explain why specific plants and materials suit our garden environment and plan.

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Success Criteria

• I have completed at least one cleaning task from the agreed task list (scrubbing, weeding, clearing edges).
• I have selected at least one item (pot, planter, or packet of seeds) that fits our garden plan.
• I can suggest one reason why my selected items are a good choice for our garden.

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Differentiation

• Provide a visual, colour-coded shopping checklist with pictures of pots, planters, and seeds aligned to the garden plan to support decision-making, particularly for learners with additional needs.
• Offer written and oral explanations for cleaning tasks for different learning preferences.
• Provide a buddy system pairing learners needing extra support with peer mentors.
• Use practical, multisensory cleaning tasks and garden centre exploration to engage learners with diverse abilities, including SEND and SEMH needs.

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Extension

• At the garden centre, research which plants grow best in pots placed against sunny versus shaded walls.
• Present your findings to your group, explaining the reasoning based on plant needs (light, water, growth habit).
• Investigate organic or environmentally-friendly seed options.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies

• Use a clear, large font with good spacing on printed materials.
• Include pictures and colour codes on shopping lists and task sheets to reduce cognitive load.
• Give verbal instructions supported by checklists.
• Provide coloured overlays or reading rulers as needed during reading tasks.

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Resources Needed

• Cleaning equipment: Brushes, scrapers, garden gloves, buckets, water source.
• Agreed garden design plan with notes.
• Visual shopping list with photos, colour coding, and tick boxes.
• Clipboards or folders for outdoor visit.
• Safety briefing notes for garden centre visit.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Recap the overall garden design plan and the tasks completed in Lesson 1.
• Explain today’s objectives and the success criteria.
• Discuss health and safety when cleaning and visiting the garden centre.
• Show the visual checklist and explain how to use it.

2. Garden Space Cleaning and Preparation (20 minutes)

• Pupils choose at least one task from the agreed list: scrubbing concrete areas, removing weeds from cracks, clearing fence and wall edges.
• Teacher models correct techniques for scrubbing and clearing debris safely.
• Pupils work independently or in pairs to complete their tasks.
• Teacher circulates to support and encourage, especially learners with SEND or SEMH needs.

3. Garden Centre Visit Preparation (5 minutes)

• Review the garden design plan again with reference to plant types and garden features.
• Pupils check their visual shopping lists to prepare for the visit.
• Outline expectations for behaviour, safety, and decision-making at the garden centre.

4. Supervised Visit to Local Garden Centre (20 minutes)

• Pupils select pots, planters, and packets of seeds according to the checklist and garden plan.
• Support available to discuss plant needs (e.g. sunlight, plant height, colour) and help make reasoned choices.
• Encourage use of research and reasoning for choices (extension pupils may investigate plant suitability further).
• Make notes or take photos of chosen items as point of reference for next lesson.

5. Reflection and Review (5 minutes)

• Gather feedback: each pupil shares one cleaning task completed and one item chosen from the garden centre.
• Discuss briefly why these choices fit the garden plan and environment.
• Highlight good teamwork and engagement, linking to therapeutic and social benefits of outdoor learning.

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Assessment

• Formative observation: check practical cleaning skills, attention to safety, and ability to follow instructions.
• Oral feedback during the garden centre visit: assessing justification of choices connected to the garden plan.
• Completed visual shopping checklist confirming at least one item selected appropriately.
• Teacher annotation on pupil reflection responses noting understanding and reasoning ability.

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Reflection for Teachers

• Monitor how well differentiated materials support SEND and SEMH pupils during practical tasks and decision-making.
• Adapt cleaning tasks to pupil physical abilities if needed while maintaining engagement.
• Note pupil confidence and independence during garden centre visit for future lesson planning.
• Consider incorporating pupil photographic journals in future lessons to track garden progress visually and support learner self-reflection.

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This lesson plan combines hands-on practical skills and real-life decision-making, reinforcing National Curriculum objectives for environmental education, science, and design technology, while supporting therapeutic, inclusive learning approaches.