At Nightingale Primary our goal is simple; it is to ensure that all children reach their full potential and develop their areas of interest and talent.

But we now need help to further develop our music department and garden area. Our amazing staff are giving up some of their free time to take on personal and team challenges in a bid to raise funds.

So with one foot in front of the other we are taking on the following:

Marathon hike across the Jurassic coast ....... Monster Mud Run!! the muddier the better!! over a 100 obstacles and mud pits..... Bubble and colour runs....London Marathon walk and the Thames path sunset walk.

Watch this space for photo updates :-)

Why music and gardening?

Whilst being fun and social, extracurricular activities are also important in helping develop a child's talents, interests, and passions. One particularly enriching activity is learning to play a musical instrument. There has long been a correlation between musical training and academic success, but there are other benefits too.

Below are some more good reasons for learning music:

Music helps the brain to develop

Different studies have proven that the comprehension of musical language can benefit a child's overall mental development. Figures show that students who study music are more successful on standardised tests and are also likely to achieve better grades in high school.

Further research revealed that musical training physically develops the left side of the brain, known to be involved with processing language and reasoning.

Music is fun

Once children have grasped the basics of playing an instrument, they are likely to really enjoy playing it. Every song they learn is a personal achievement. If we encourage their skills by listening to them or even signing along, they will have a great time playing their musical instrument.

Music relieves stress and teaches children to focus

Playing an instrument or being in a musical class demands total attention. Because of this, music is a great stress-relieving tool that helps to calm the mind and enhance concentration.

Music helps children understand maths

Although they look very different, maths and music are actually quite similar. "When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions and proportions," said Professor Gordon Shaw from the University of California, after his study of seven-year-olds in Los Angeles. Music can be a great way of learning maths in an artistic way!

Music is a form of self-expression

As well as being a way of relieving stress, music could also help children to manage their feelings better by expressing them through language. It gives them the chance to exteriorise their emotions through the instrument they are playing, particularly when they have a go at composing their own music.

Music can improve social skills

Music is often played in a group and, therefore, team-work skills are learned, with all players working together harmoniously. In order to improve the show, attending rehearsals and practising is essential too. Working towards a single goal helps to enhance social skills.

"Children who take part in music develop higher levels of social cohesion and understanding of themselves and others," says Dr. Alexandra Lamont, Lecturer in the Psychology of Music at the University of Keele.

By improving their abilities with a specific musical instrument and achieving their goals, children can feel very satisfied and this can greatly improve their self-esteem. Taking risks and facing challenges is essential for a child to fully develop his or her potential.

Music can make us resilient

Music can boost self-confidence

Many of families live in flats or properties without access to outside space. We would love to give them all a space where they can be children, dig, plant and learn.

Gardening brings a whole host of learning opportunities around the core curriculum subjects of science, maths and literacy. Children can learn about the world and seasons around them while gaining a greater understanding of the journey their food takes before it reaches their plates. Gardening activities can also have a significant positive impact on your students physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Getting outside and into nature gives children the opportunity to learn in a hands-on way, encouraging them to move their bodies and develop their gross and fine motor skills; for example digging, carefully separating tiny seeds and handling delicate seedlings. Gardening encourages the use of all five senses, with sight, sound, smell, touch and taste being regularly exercised, whilst sensory gardens offer a wider range of textures, visual contrasts, and fragrances. Growing vegetables offers the added benefit of the potential to expand young palettes – children are much more likely to be open to tasting foods that they have been involved in growing and nurturing themselves.

Growing plants – caring for the seeds, providing the correct growing conditions with the right balance of light and moisture, nurturing them before results are seen – requires exercising patience, resilience, persistence and commitment. Taking responsibility for helping the plant to grow, being trusted to care for it, and helping it to thrive brings feelings of pride and empowerment. Being in nature has a calming effect, and gardening has been shown to reduce stress levels, improve mood and enhance self esteem. Gardening actually makes you happy!

As both a group activity, social skills are developed through team or partner work, and sharing, turn taking and respect will be required. Growing a garden offers the opportunity to advance self esteem and self motivation, and children who practise gardening at school have been shown to display increased empathy, both to the world around them and to their fellow students.