Chicken Logo!

The clever DT team at Grey Court School has come up with a lovely logo for their People's Millions bid. This is perfect timing as it's time to tell the world that we need votes on Tuesday 23 November! School Food Matters has put out the following press release on behalf of the school.

Eggcellent News!

Grey Court's Community Chickens are through to ITV final of People's Millions

Students at Grey Court School in Ham are to appear on ITV London News in the finals of The People’s Millions competition on Tuesday 23 November. The school’s Grey Court Community Chickens will go head-to-head with another London-based project to win enough public votes and secure funding, and Grey Court students are hoping that local people will vote on the day to make their project a winner.

Keeping chickens is becoming increasingly popular, and this exciting project will give students at Grey Court and local primary schools a wonderful outdoor learning experience, from hatching and rearing chicks, to caring for the hens, and of course eating the lovely, fresh eggs. Local people will be able to buy eggs and volunteer or train to keep chickens too. The hens will be a carefully chosen hybrid breed with a friendly nature and good egg laying ability!

Grey Court’s head teacher Maggie Bailey says, ‘Children will learn about food, learn about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and develop so much more confidence as a result of watching their efforts succeed that their academic work will improve too, The chickens will benefit everyone, improving things for the children and building links within our community.’

Grey Court plans to keep free-range hens in secure enclosures on the school grounds with students setting up an egg selling enterprise. Nearby primary schools can have equipment to hatch, rear and keep their own chicks, giving them a wonderful opportunity to experience the whole animal life cycle. Primary school chickens will be able to stay at the Grey Court ‘hen hotel’ in the holidays, cared for by the part-time poultry keeper who will also teach students and local people about all aspects of chicken keeping. Local families can get involved with the opportunity to board some of these chickens in the holidays.

Grey Court opened its community allotment in July 2010 and the community chickens are the next stage in plans to set up a small school farm. Keeping chickens is an easy and exciting way to start, by encouraging students to learn about caring for animals and producing fresh, local food.