A huge congratulations to the winning houses of the first ever Great Potting Throw Down - a fun and friendly challenge that’s helped bring a whole new level of energy to our Potting Shed this academic year.

Launched at the start of the school year, the Throw Down was designed to encourage the planting of as many seedlings as possible in Land-based learning sessions. It has blossomed into a fantastic success, combining learning with a healthy dose of teamwork, enthusiasm, and shared purpose.

Meet the winners

After months of dedication and planting efforts, the results are in:

• 1st place: Fleming House – with an outstanding 8 weekly wins

• 2nd place: Spring House – with 6 weekly wins

• 3rd place: Summer House – with 5 weekly wins

Each winning house has proudly received a certificate and a rosette. Ola from Spring House even chose to wear her rosette for the entire day – a lovely show of house pride!

By the numbers

The final figures from the competition are nothing short of remarkable:

• 3,193 plants successfully planted across the year
• 84 – the highest number of plants planted by a single house in one week
• 26 – the top individual session record, set by one young person working independently
• 130 – the average number of plants planted per week

These seedlings have gone on to brighten and enrich spaces all across the Prior’s Court site. You’ll find them thriving in our raised beds, planters, sensory garden, house gardens, the Young Adult Provision, the Countryside Learning Centre and the Orchard.

More than a competition

While the competitive spirit has added a sense of fun and motivation, the benefits of the Great Potting Throw Down go much deeper. Planting cuttings is a regular part of sessions in the Potting Shed, helping autistic young people with complex needs to develop essential fine motor skills while contributing to meaningful and visible projects around the site.

This initiative was led by Potting Shed Vocational Learning Instructor Sammi, who began tracking successful plantings during each session to help young people see the progress they were making. Only fully completed plantings were counted.

Read more about the idea behind the Throw Down

The excitement that grew from this simple idea has been extraordinary. It’s provided a new layer of purpose to sessions, sparked a real sense of pride in achievement, and showcased the talents and dedication of the young people and staff involved.

Thank you to everyone who took part and helped this initiative flourish. We’re already looking forward to seeing what the next growing season brings.

Read more about our approach to learning