Sale School Garden Praised by Royal Horticultural Society
St Anne's CE School's 'spiritual sanctuary' recognised nationally as an exemplar wellbeing garden.
By Megan Worthington
••4 min read
AI
Generic image of a school garden with wildflowers and seating areas.
St Anne's Church of England School in Sale has had its innovative outdoor 'spiritual sanctuary' recognised nationally by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as a prime example of a wellbeing garden.
The transformation of the Trafford school’s outdoor space, which spans 50 square metres, has been highlighted on the RHS website as an initiative that can inspire others. The project began in 2022 with a budget of just £500 and incurs only £100 annually for maintenance and development.
Staff and pupils undertake the gardening as part of their lessons, with families and friends contributing donations and assistance. This initiative is part of broader environmental efforts that have already earned St Anne’s a Plastic Free Schools award from Surfers Against Sewage.
Key features of the garden include a sensory path, seating areas, vegetable beds, rewilding zones, and musical instruments such as a large xylophone and glockenspiel. While incorporating religious elements, the space is designed to be welcoming to all pupils and guests, regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds.
Launched four years ago, the project aimed to convert an underused green area into a tranquil, reflective outdoor space for prayer, mindfulness, and learning. Its creation involved research, consultations with staff and pupils, and support from the local community.
The garden boasts wildflowers and grasses like poppies, daisies, clover, and buttercups to attract pollinators and wildlife. Pupils actively contribute to increasing biodiversity by making bird feeders, constructing bug hotels, and scattering seeds. Last year, a seasonal flower zone was added, featuring daffodils, crocuses, nasturtiums, and forget-me-nots, allowing children to observe plant growth.
“
"Today, the space balances beauty, functionality and sustainability. By incorporating sensory plants, quiet seating areas and interactive elements such as vegetable beds and rewilding zones, pupils can now connect with nature, improve their mental health and develop a sense of responsibility through growing and caring for plants. Every pupil at St Anne’s has had a voice in shaping the spiritual garden. Different areas have been developed since the project started, with the main space being the spiritual garden, designed to encourage prayer, mindfulness and quiet contemplation."
The garden, enhanced by wooden planters donated by supporters, is ideally suited for Religious Education and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) lessons. Growing activities are regularly organised to educate children about food origins. The school's church, St Anne’s, also utilises the space for community events, including a prayer trail.
“
"The garden is a quiet area where everyone can reflect, pray or simply enjoy a calm moment outdoors, supporting pupils’ spiritual, emotional and mental wellbeing. Our planting changes each year depending on what pupils are interested, what is on the curriculum and what the seasonal growing conditions are, but we always aim to include a mix of sensory plants, fruit and vegetables, and wildlife-friendly species. Our environmental ethos here has extended to taking part in lots of litter picks and removing glitter, single use water bottles and plastic bags from packed lunches for school trips. Our pupils have also written to popular brands and council members to share their concerns about plastic waste."
“
"We’re delighted to see St Anne’s held up as a shining example in this way and it shows what can be possible when staff, pupils, families, friends and the wider community work together to make things happen!"
“
"One of the Council priorities is for Trafford children and young people to get the best start in life and initiatives like this one certainly contribute to that ambition. Another Council priority is addressing climate change and we welcome all and any efforts to boost biodiversity, so the wellbeing garden is a great project all round."
