Devon Community Composting Network

Composting with schools and communities

DLDGTW at school banner SECONDARY

Compost teaching resources
Composting in School A practical guide to composting food waste

Devon Community Composting Network (DCCN), alongside the Devon waste education team, have put together several free resources to support composting in schools.

The booklet Composting in School: A practical guide to composting food waste includes all the details you will need about equipment, logistics and the composting process.  It can be downloaded here for free.

Compost curriculumThe Compost Curriculum Handbook is full of curriculum linked activities for KS2, and with extensions and adaptations for other age and ability groups. All the activities are based around learning about and using nature’s wonderful compost.

Sustainability bulletin June 2015It has been compiled by the Devon County Council waste education team, including Resource Futures and DCCN. The handbook is free to Devon Schools, one copy per school (sorry, but not to Torbay or Plymouth schools). Have a preview of what it looks like here and contact us for your copy.

Visit the Zone at Recycle Devon.com for a fun interactive game introducing composting.

The Devon Schools Sustainability Bulletin is published every half term. It is packed with tips, resources, training and funding opportunities about gardening, composting, recycling, energy and biodiversity. See previous issues here and subscribe here.

Other links and resources
We also draw on lots of fantastic teaching resources from other organisations. Here are a few that are particularly relevant to composting:

  • kidsThe Growing Devon Schools website has links to school case studies, events and resources around Devon and beyond.
  • Food for life resources include food growing manuals, growing cards and other lesson plans, all clearly written and illustrated with photographs.
  • The Countryside Classroom website has links to many curriculum linked lesson plans, places to visit and outdoor learning providers, searchable by region and pupil age group.
  • The Compost Stew website, of Mary McKenna Siddals, has lots of imaginative books and lesson plans about composting for children of all ages. It is an American site, so some of the terms might be less familiar, but some great ideas and illustrations.