Ryde becomes a hive of activity to embrace sustainability

Ryde School has embraced mother nature and sustainability with hundreds of new arrivals of.... bees!  

We are working hard to embrace sustainability and has welcomed thousands of new additions to the School - honey bees! As part of a collaboration with local Isle of Wight company, Bunbury Bees, the School now has an apiary comprising four hives. Located in the wildflower rich gardens of Millfield, one of our boarding houses, the specially chosen site for the apiary is the perfect habitat for the bees to thrive and for safe access for students and staff.

From the Summer Term every student in Years 7-9 gets the chance to experience beekeeping under the expert guidance of a professional beekeeper. Each student puts on a beekeeping outfit and then heads to the apiaries to examine the new residents while being guided by the experienced hand of Chris Van Wyk, Old Rydeian and owner of Bunbury Bees, a local professional beekeeping company with aparies across the Island.

In September the whole school - including Prep and Fiveways - will get the chance to don their beekeeping outfits and learn all about bees. Dr George Speller, Assistant Head (Curriculum) has been the driving force behind this new project, and is excited about the impact for the students:

“Apart from the obvious academic links with biology and environmental science like studying mini beasts, pollination and sustainability, the bee project also aims to develop core skills and character, helping our students become even more caring, reflective and self-disciplined.”

He explains how the new arrivals will be integrated into the wider curriculum:

“These first sessions aim to introduce the art of beekeeping before we launch the project as a whole school CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) activity in September as part of the Round Square IDEALS programme. We hope eventually to add adult activities into the mix, involving the local community and parents who want to learn more about bees and the environment."

The students are equally excited and have enjoyed the thrill of learning about bees close up and their new beekeeping outfits:

“It’s so much fun, you get to go over to Millfield and wear these big suits and watch as the beekeeper uses the smoke to move the bees around. It’s so different to sitting in a classroom talking about it”. Oscar, Year 8

Embracing sustainability is at the forefront of the School’s ethos and as a Round Square school, environmentalism is woven into the curriculum. There are also several after school clubs in environmental issues, and the Young Enterprise group have made sustainability the core part of their project. The School also sources as much as possible of their produce locally. As well as using Wight Milk, Farmhouse Fayre for fruit and veg, and locally reared lamb and beef, soon there will be another local product to add to the list - Ryde School Honey! A wonderful byproduct of the bee project will be School honey, and eventually candles.

Once the bees are established the School plans to harvest the honey, with different year groups taking on the challenge of planning, managing and organising honey production. All this will add to the educational experience. Look out for Ryde School Honey at the next Ryde School Farmer’s Market!

Ryde School Bee Video