Heron Hill Bee Club
Heron 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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
Mrs Cottam is a registered member of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) (membership number 35.0.193) and is also an active member of Kendal & South Westmorland Beekeepers Association.
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 maintains her skills and competencies by attending monthly lectures throughout the year run by the KBA, and also seminars at Myerscough College in Preston.
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.
Mrs Cottam is a registered member of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) (membership number 35.0.193) and is also an active member of Kendal & South Westmorland Beekeepers Association.
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 maintains her skills and competencies by attending monthly lectures throughout the year run by the KBA, and also seminars at Myerscough College in Preston.
