Bishop Cannings Harvest Soup Share with a difference

Bishops Cannings School is a regular participant in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Big Soup Share community event. Whilst it was not possible to run it in the normal format this year, the school has been creative in coming up with an alternative. Read on to find out more! 

Year 1, Hedgehog class bubble, held a “Little Soup Share” with vegetables harvested from the school’s raised beds and some kindly donated by lovely neighbours in the village.  The children picked their butternut squash and dug up their potatoes and carrots.  Together with onions, marrows and tomatoes they added herbs and spices to make a delicious “Scrumptious Spicey Harvest Soup”.  They shared their soup in their class bubble with headteacher, Catherine Vardy and class teacher, Mrs Steggall.

Staff at the school said, "There is something very special about making soup together at Harvest.  Even though we cannot be together in large numbers to celebrate this special time of the year, it has been important to get the children outside foraging and harvesting wild and homegrown fruit and vegetables to cook and share together.  It helps give an understanding of what Harvest means in our rural community."

Earlier in the term pupils from Year 4 class bubble went on a blackberry walk and also collected cooking apples to make blackberry and apple crumble which they enjoyed with their class teacher, Mrs Reed.

Caroline Martin, the school's Chair of Governors said, "Our staffing team are constantly adapting their teaching to meet with the latest Coronavirus guidelines and coming up with innovative ways of teaching and learning.   This was showcased recently by our RE Lead, Catherine Wallace.  Usually our Harvest service and Reception class blessings taking place inside St Mary’s church but Catherine was inspired to hold this service outside in our special reflection area on the school field. 

Each class bubble was socially distanced outside sitting on PE mats and benches around the field in the beautiful autumn sunshine.  We were also joined by our new Foundation Governor, Diane Gomm, and our new Equa MAT Link Trustee, Christopher Branford White.  It was the first time the whole school had managed to be together since before lockdown back in March and was a very joyful event."

The outdoor service was conducted by Revd Richard Curtis and Revd Joanna Porter and each pupil in Reception class received a special blessing.  During the Harvest service dried and tinned food items were collected for the Devizes Food Bank. After Harvest songs and prayers written and performed by the pupils had been shared, the very moving service also unveiled the school’s new altar frontal which was designed and made by pupils before lockdown with the help of the Salisbury Diocesan Education Team at the Cathedral. 

Caroline Martin describes it here, "The colourful altar cloth hand-stitched by the pupils looked truly resplendent in the autumn sunshine as the colourful leaves fell all around."  

We are sure you agree that the soup sounds as though it was delicious and the altar frontal is beautiful!