Heron Hill Bee ClubHeron Hill Primary School Apiary
At Heron Hill Primary school, we pride ourselves on providing a full and varied curriculum for all our pupils, which includes extending the learning and life experiences of our children through our many and varied activities and clubs. By establishing an apiary within our extensive school grounds and utilising the experience and enthusiasm of established beekeepers within our school, we hope to bring exciting new opportunities for our children, staff, parents and wider school community as well as playing our part in protecting and enhancing our natural environment. |
Heron Hill Bee Club won the National
'Bees Needs Champion' award in 2019 |
Humans have been managing honey bee colonies for thousands of years, and Cumbria is renowned for keeping bees in Skeps, (straw domed hives) in ‘bee boles’ - recesses built into the numerous dry stone walls of our beautiful County.
Establishing a small apiary will provide the children with many exciting cross curricular opportunities...
Establishing a small apiary will provide the children with many exciting cross curricular opportunities...
What's the buzz about bees?
Here are a few interesting bee facts
- Bees are the only insect in the world that make food that people can eat.
- Honey contains all of the substances needed to sustain life, including enzymes, water, minerals and vitamins.
- Eating honey can help make you smarter! It is the only food to contain ‘pinocembrin’ that is an antioxidant that improves brain function.
- One bee will only make 1/12 of a teaspoon on honey in its entire life.
- Many plants rely on insects like bees in order to be pollinated; which is why they provide nectar to say thanks
- A colony of bees can contain between 20,000 and 60,000 bees, but only one queen bee. Click here to see our queen bee.
what can bee's teach us?
Bees at Heron Hill
Mrs Cottam working in our Apiary
inspecting the bees
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This is our Queen bee circled in green. You can see the white paint spot on her head so we can find her easily
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Junior bee-keeper jobs
Jobs involving handling bees
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Jobs not handling bees
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What can we learn from bees?
Science - life cycles, metamorphosis, pollination, food production & food handling.
Practical skills - Wood working skills, making frames for hives, using calculations to ensure an accurately spaced hive, (the concept of the bee space)
Maths - shape, dealing with cell hexagons, to the ‘bee dance’ of communications which involves angles and distance. Budgeting and costing, entrepreneurial skills of business in selling our honey and wax..
Art & History - Exploring the link between prehistoric man, early civilisations, cave paintings beekeeping and art. Creating their own artwork for our own Heron Hill labels.
Legislation and Regulation - Children will learn about EU legislation regarding honey sales, labelling, accurate measuring and weighing, adhering to rules and regulations.
Resilience & Confidence - Looking through a hive of 60,000 bees takes confidence! Establishing endurance and an ‘I can do this!’ attitude, is so important in preparing our children for the next steps in life… from transition to secondary school, to bigger issues in their own lives.
English - Enormous opportunity within the English curriculum, from creative writing, alliteration, and poetry.
Life Opportunities & Responsibility - The children will have the opportunity to care for livestock with all it entails… to having the chance of viewing the life and times of the honey bee in a sustainable and managed way which ensures the colonies survival year on year.
Responsibility also comes from a realisation that their own actions, behaviour and interactions with others and nature, often have both near and far consequences.
Extended Learning
Should the children want to become further involved in beekeeping, they can study for the Junior Beekeeping Certificate in conjunction with the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA)
Practical skills - Wood working skills, making frames for hives, using calculations to ensure an accurately spaced hive, (the concept of the bee space)
Maths - shape, dealing with cell hexagons, to the ‘bee dance’ of communications which involves angles and distance. Budgeting and costing, entrepreneurial skills of business in selling our honey and wax..
Art & History - Exploring the link between prehistoric man, early civilisations, cave paintings beekeeping and art. Creating their own artwork for our own Heron Hill labels.
Legislation and Regulation - Children will learn about EU legislation regarding honey sales, labelling, accurate measuring and weighing, adhering to rules and regulations.
Resilience & Confidence - Looking through a hive of 60,000 bees takes confidence! Establishing endurance and an ‘I can do this!’ attitude, is so important in preparing our children for the next steps in life… from transition to secondary school, to bigger issues in their own lives.
English - Enormous opportunity within the English curriculum, from creative writing, alliteration, and poetry.
Life Opportunities & Responsibility - The children will have the opportunity to care for livestock with all it entails… to having the chance of viewing the life and times of the honey bee in a sustainable and managed way which ensures the colonies survival year on year.
Responsibility also comes from a realisation that their own actions, behaviour and interactions with others and nature, often have both near and far consequences.
Extended Learning
Should the children want to become further involved in beekeeping, they can study for the Junior Beekeeping Certificate in conjunction with the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA)
bee safety - children working with bees
Bee Club Safety
Enhanced Risk Assessment for Heron Hill School Apiary - Bee stings
Honey bees sting only as a last resort, when a worker bee stings, she is mortally wounded and dies. Careful handling and quiet behaviour at the hive therefore reduce the risk of a sting, but suffering the occasional sting cannot be ruled out for anyone dealing directly with bees.
Wearing appropriate protective clothing is essential, as this too, significantly reduces the chance of being stung. The sting apparatus of the honey bee has its own ganglion, (nerve mechanism) the sting is barbed and fixes into skin, once embedded, it is torn from the bee’s abdomen, and the apparatus continues to pump venom until the sting is removed.
The sting therefore should be extracted as quickly as possible to minimise the dose of venom. Contrary to the information in many text books, it makes no difference whether the sting is pinched out of the skin or flicked out. The valve mechanism in the sting apparatus prevents the flow of venom even when the sting is squeezed or squashed. It is simply important to remove the sting as rapidly, by whatever means is easily available.
Dealing with stings will be explained and taught before bees are handled.
Anaphylactic shock is an extreme reaction to a substance, bee sting venom can cause anaphylaxis, but this is very rare. Usually a sting is of no significant risk to the victim, but is irritating and or painful. A cascade of chemical events caused by the venom, can lead to redness, warmth and tissue swelling at the site of the sting. This normally develops over the following 24-48 hours, and does not mean the site is infected.
Standard treatments are the application of steroid cream, ( 1% hydrocortisone cream is available over the counter at pharmacies)
If the reaction to a sting proceeds to an anaphylactic reaction, the victim passes through a series of reactions into a state where breathing can be become compromised and blood pressure falls, causing ‘shock’ Formal medical assistance and involvement of the emergency services would become essential, and a matter of urgency.
Risk Assessments and Protocols for Heron Hill Apiary
Honey bees sting only as a last resort, when a worker bee stings, she is mortally wounded and dies. Careful handling and quiet behaviour at the hive therefore reduce the risk of a sting, but suffering the occasional sting cannot be ruled out for anyone dealing directly with bees.
Wearing appropriate protective clothing is essential, as this too, significantly reduces the chance of being stung. The sting apparatus of the honey bee has its own ganglion, (nerve mechanism) the sting is barbed and fixes into skin, once embedded, it is torn from the bee’s abdomen, and the apparatus continues to pump venom until the sting is removed.
The sting therefore should be extracted as quickly as possible to minimise the dose of venom. Contrary to the information in many text books, it makes no difference whether the sting is pinched out of the skin or flicked out. The valve mechanism in the sting apparatus prevents the flow of venom even when the sting is squeezed or squashed. It is simply important to remove the sting as rapidly, by whatever means is easily available.
Dealing with stings will be explained and taught before bees are handled.
Anaphylactic shock is an extreme reaction to a substance, bee sting venom can cause anaphylaxis, but this is very rare. Usually a sting is of no significant risk to the victim, but is irritating and or painful. A cascade of chemical events caused by the venom, can lead to redness, warmth and tissue swelling at the site of the sting. This normally develops over the following 24-48 hours, and does not mean the site is infected.
Standard treatments are the application of steroid cream, ( 1% hydrocortisone cream is available over the counter at pharmacies)
If the reaction to a sting proceeds to an anaphylactic reaction, the victim passes through a series of reactions into a state where breathing can be become compromised and blood pressure falls, causing ‘shock’ Formal medical assistance and involvement of the emergency services would become essential, and a matter of urgency.
Risk Assessments and Protocols for Heron Hill Apiary
- Questionnaire to be sent to participants if adults & parents of children, before involvement with the apiary about any history of severe reaction to bee stings. Anyone having a severe reaction will not be permitted to enter the apiary.
- Normal after school club ‘sign up’ will be needed for children to join the bee club, joining bee club does not automatically lead to direct contact with the bees.
- Parental consent to be sought before any children handle bees.
- Potential beekeepers are will be advised that anaphylactic reaction is extremely rare, but will be taught about bee sting reactions & appropriate actions before handling bees.
- Children will complete at least two units of the Bee Club course, before being allowed to handle bees.
- The age, maturity and behaviour of pupils will be considered before allowing them to handle bees.
- Chemical treatments may be used as part of Varroa control, these will be only used by the named Beekeeper, (Mrs Cottam) and administered during weekend inspections when there are no children in school. No chemicals will be stored on the school premises at any time.
- Beekeepers will be reminded of appropriate behaviour before entering the Apiary, and may be asked to leave for the health & safety of both bees and Beekeepers if quiet and sensible behaviour is not forthcoming.
- Mrs Cottam is a Registered General Nurse (RGN) and an additional trained First Aider will always be on site when children are handling bees.
- A mobile telephone will be carried by the lead Beekeeper in the apiary, and the full address of school will be displayed within the apiary, along with the grid reference of the hives.
- Ratio of supervision will be 1 trained beekeeper to 3 children maximum.
- Apiary equipment will be regularly examined and maintained, to ensure it is safe and fit for purpose. Hive tools will be cleaned after each inspection to prevent build up of any harmful pathogens to bees.
- The apiary is to be kept tidy and free from obstructions at all times.
- A written and dated record of all hive inspections will be kept for each hive.
- The apiary is to be kept locked at all times, Mrs Cottam will maintain a key, and spare keys will be labelled and kept at school.
- Protective clothing to be kept in good clean condition, and always cleaned if they have been used at another apiary, to prevent any potential cross contamination between hives.
- All Heron Hill hives will be kept on purpose built stands for the benefit of the bees, and to reduce back strain for the beekeepers.
- Protective clothing MUST be worn by all beekeepers at all times when inside the apiary.
Bee Club
The club will be run during term time after school, for children in Y4 - 6 and as with all after school activities, will require parental consent.
Further written consent will be obtained for all children who will handle bees.
The ‘Bee Club’ in school will be run by our named school beekeeper Mrs Cottam, who is also our Chair of Governors and as such is subject to all the background checks required of those working with children in school. Also Mrs Harper Y5 teacher.
Mrs Cottam & Mrs Harper are both registered members of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) (membership number 35.0.193) and is also an active members of Kendal & South Westmorland Beekeepers Association Committee. Mrs Harper is also the association's Honey Show Secretary
Our local government Bee Inspector is Dr Julia Piggot, she has been involved throughout the process of planning our project. As the Education Officer for Kendal Beekeepers, she has provided advice on our risk assessments, which are used in other local schools. She will continue to be a source of support and monitoring, both in her role as ‘Bee Inspector,’ and as education officer to KBA and The Field Studies Council.
Risk assessment advice has also been sought from CLEAPSS, and their guidance document L221, ‘Developing & Using Environmental Areas in School Grounds’ has helped form the Heron Hill risk assessment document. Our Health and Safety consultants Kym Allan have also been briefed on our plans.
Dr Piggot has provided a full day course on an Introduction to Beekeeping to the staff who will form our ‘bee team’ and Mrs Cottam & Mrs Harper maintain their skills and competencies by attending monthly lectures throughout the year run by the KBA, seminars at Myerscough College in Preston and are both qualified beekeepers with the BBKA. They are both following the BBKA exam pathway.
Further written consent will be obtained for all children who will handle bees.
The ‘Bee Club’ in school will be run by our named school beekeeper Mrs Cottam, who is also our Chair of Governors and as such is subject to all the background checks required of those working with children in school. Also Mrs Harper Y5 teacher.
Mrs Cottam & Mrs Harper are both registered members of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) (membership number 35.0.193) and is also an active members of Kendal & South Westmorland Beekeepers Association Committee. Mrs Harper is also the association's Honey Show Secretary
Our local government Bee Inspector is Dr Julia Piggot, she has been involved throughout the process of planning our project. As the Education Officer for Kendal Beekeepers, she has provided advice on our risk assessments, which are used in other local schools. She will continue to be a source of support and monitoring, both in her role as ‘Bee Inspector,’ and as education officer to KBA and The Field Studies Council.
Risk assessment advice has also been sought from CLEAPSS, and their guidance document L221, ‘Developing & Using Environmental Areas in School Grounds’ has helped form the Heron Hill risk assessment document. Our Health and Safety consultants Kym Allan have also been briefed on our plans.
Dr Piggot has provided a full day course on an Introduction to Beekeeping to the staff who will form our ‘bee team’ and Mrs Cottam & Mrs Harper maintain their skills and competencies by attending monthly lectures throughout the year run by the KBA, seminars at Myerscough College in Preston and are both qualified beekeepers with the BBKA. They are both following the BBKA exam pathway.
