Kent Schools Pumpkin Challenge

Pumpkins galore

Seventy five Kent schools responded to the Kent Schools Pumpkin Challenge and were sent pumpkin seeds in April 2008. Schools were asked to grow their pumpkins organically using waste compost, where possible from school's own composters.

After months of recording and photographing the growth of their plants, 27 school records were collected by the Kent Eco-Schools Officer, collated and invitations sent to those schools that had successfully grown pumpkins to attend the Grand Competition held at Hunton CEP on Friday 10 October.

Pupil representatives and staff from Aldington Primary School, Baphild and Tonge CEP, Furness School, Hillview School for Girls , Hunton CEP, Longfield Academy, Ryarsh Primary School and Slade Primary School brought their pumpkins to be judged by Mr Dance, Cabinet Member for Education, Mike Thompson, Local Children’s Services Partnership Manager, Jennifer Holland, East Kent Healthy Schools Team Leader, Sue Harvey and Ian Startup from Trading Standards, and Steve Oram from Yalding Organic Gardens.

The winning results in each class were:

Heaviest:
1st – Hunton CEP
2nd – Slade Primary
3rd – Hillview School for Girls

Largest:
1st – Hillview School for Girls
2nd – Hunton CEP
3rd – Slade Primary

Ugliest:
1st – Longfield Academy
2nd – Furness
3rd – Hillview School for Girls

Tastiest:
1st – Bapchild and Tonge
2nd – Ryarsh Primary
3rd – Aldington Primary
3rd – Hunton CEP
3rd – Slade Primary

The first, second and third prize winners received certificates and books or bulbs to help with future growing projects.

Pumpkin recipes were sent by Aldington Primary School, Bower Grove, Hunton CEP and Ryarsh Primary School and made into a booklet that has been sent to all schools that took part with a sheet of ideas to use pumpkins across the curriculum.

Pupils from Hunton CEP with Mr Dance, Cabinet Member for Education