The Totteridge
Academy
GROW X TTA KITCHEN FILM
We are very proud to present our new film showcasing the important relationship between the GROW farm and The Totteridge Academy’s Kitchen.
We started working with The Totteridge Academy (TTA) in 2019 and over the last six years, we have provided produce for over 100,000 school lunch plates!
JOIN US in our agro-education movement! We run a yearly GROW Futures knowledge sharing programme for people looking to bring agroecology into their schools in any way (you do not need to have a farm!). Our next programme is running in October:
Thank you so much to TTA for welcoming and embracing agroeoclogy, and to everyone involved in making this film. Director: @taradarby I Production Company: Laird and Good Company I Producer: Ellen Miller I Director of Photography, Edit, Grade: Adam Langdon
THE TOTTERIDGE ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP
Situated on The Totteridge Academy site, our farm provides an enriching resource for students, staff, and families.
Through a close partnership with TTA, we are demonstrating how schools and farms can work together to create resilient local food systems that benefit both education and community well-being.
By embedding agroecological principles into education, we aim to drive systemic change, ensuring that future generations understand and value their relationship with food and the environment.
THE TTA KITCHEN
GROW works very closely with the kitchen team at The Totteridge Academy. GROW produce is delivered to the TTA kitchen every week. Head Chef, James Fox, and his kitchen team create seasonal dishes that incorporate GROW produce which students and staff can enjoy every day.
Each season, the entire kitchen team visits the GROW Farm for a training session led by our Farm Manager, Chris.
GROW’s relationship with the TTA Kitchen supports our mission to make agroecologically grown food available to all!
THE CURRICULUM
We work with a variety of subjects across TTA to give all students the opportunity to practically apply subject knowledge on the farm. Certain subjects have easily identifiable links with the farm, like Science and Food Technology, however we are passionate about supporting all subjects to utilise the outdoor learning opportunities the farm has to offer.
Examples of the the TTA curriculum lessons that have taken place on the GROW farm are listed below.
Food Technology: Seasonality lessons and tasting tours of the farm
Photography: Landscape photography
English: Creative writing lessons
Geography: Geographical skills and fieldwork
ENRICHMENT
GROW Student Board of Advisors
The GROW Student Board of Advisors are a group of TTA students who meet regularly to discuss all things GROW; giving feedback on how we operate in the school, as well as sharing ideas about what GROW could be doing better.
Y7 After School Club
This after school club is open to any TTA Y7’s and aims to support the transition to secondary school. Students take part in seasonal farm activities and learn food growing skills.
Work Experience & DofE
We offer work experience & DofE placements for Y10 and Y12 TTA students. Students can support different aspects of the charity: farming, horticulture, animal care, fundraising, finance, or facilitation.
INTERVENTION
GROW runs an intervention programmes for referred groups of students facing barriers to learning or well-being. We run three groups a term for Y7 - Y9 students.
Over 10 weeks, students learn about sustainable food growing, nature connection, and well-being through hands-on outdoor learning experiences.
