Headteacher's Message – 24/04/26

No Mow May – Showing Compassion to our Environment: Be kind, Notice the Need!

This May, led by our wonderful School Council Eco Team, we are proud to be supporting No Mow May, a national campaign led by wildlife trusts and environmental charities to help protect our vital pollinators.

What is No Mow May?

No Mow May encourages people to leave lawns uncut for the month of May, allowing wildflowers to grow. These provide vital food and shelter for insects at a crucial time of year. With 23 million gardens in the UK, our green spaces play an important role in supporting wildlife.

Longer grass helps sustain a wide variety of invertebrates and provides food for birds, particularly as May is when many are preparing to build nests. By reducing mowing, lawns can produce up to ten times more nectar, supporting the 270 species of bee found in the UK.

Many plants we think of as weeds are actually essential for pollinators. Dandelions, for example, are an important early food source – it takes around six dandelions to support just one bumblebee.

No garden? No problem!

You don’t need a lawn to take part. Wildflowers in pots or containers are an easy and effective way to help pollinators, whether on a balcony, windowsill or doorstep.

Eco-work in School

Our School Council Eco-Team, working closely with Mrs Reilly, has been doing fantastic work to enhance our outdoor environment. Together they have:

· Created more eco-friendly spaces to encourage wildlife and insects

· Developed areas where fruit and vegetables are being grown

· Begun work on a sensory garden, with a variety of scented and tactile plants that help us appreciate the diversity of plant life and engage our senses.

We are incredibly proud of their efforts to make our school grounds a welcoming place for both nature and our children.

Get involved!

We would love to see how your family is taking part in No Mow May. Please send us:

· Photos of No Mow May gardens

· Wildflower patches

· Pots or containers planted to help pollinators

Children can print photos and pass them to their School Council Eco-Team Representative, or grown-ups can email them to: schoolcouncil@st-marks.gloucs.sch.uk.

Entries will earn raffle tickets towards gaining your next Owl! Showing that you care about your environment is a crucial way of showing compassion and learning to live gently in our world.

Every unmown patch, pot or planter helps. Together, we can make a real difference for wildlife—one garden at a time.

 

Have a super weekend, 

Mrs A Fitch and the Staff Team