A custom designed and built 12ft x 20ft glasshouse has been donated to Medina College by Isle of Wight businesses APS Produce Group and P3P Partners, ahead of the launch of the IGCSE in Agriculture this September.
The specialist and impressive structure allows students at the school to grow plants in a protected area where specific conditions can be maintained to ensure the highest efficiency. Students will be able to grow plants in the glasshouse all year round, which will hugely support them throughout the GCSE course and potentially future further education studies.
The structure has been constructed on a piece of land on the school site which has been specifically developed as a farming plot. Students are already working on this land and have been so excited to start using the glasshouse. They are currently growing a variety of tomatoes, peppers, squashes and herbs in it.
The glasshouse was donated to the school collaboratively by national companies with a large Isle of Wight presence, P3P Partners, specialists in sustainable energy and vertical farming and APS Produce Group, the UK’s leading tomato and salad crop horticulture specialist. It was built by Cambridge HOK, a leading glasshouse construction specialist. Using their expertise and the latest technology, the glasshouse has been purpose-built to the needs of the students and the new course that they will be following from September.
Medina College is 1 of just 3 providers in the country to be offering the Cambridge IGCSE in Agriculture.
Agriculture course leader at the school, Victoria Lloyd, has said:
“The course presents a really exciting opportunity for our students to get a head start on a future career in agriculture; an area with a vast range of exciting opportunities for young people across the UK and, particularly, here on the Isle of Wight.”
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Executive Headteacher for the Isle of Wight Education Federation and Head of School at Medina College, Matthew Parr-Burman, has said:
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of APS Produce Group and P3P Partners. Without their financial support and technical skills and experience, we would not have been able to provide this resource for the students. It will make such a difference to their studies and will provide them with experiences that will enhance their learning massively.
“It has been fantastic to see how excited the students are to get involved with using the glasshouse already. We can’t wait to literally taste the fruits of their labour this summer!”
Hi, can you give me some pointers, too.
I have a few questions about the siding of the house. Tell me what material is better to tile the house to make it look more beautiful, as well as the best materials to use. Siding boards, plastic panels or something else?