Nursery Management Today magazine, December 2018
Francis Smith introduces the common lime as an all-year-round inspiration foroutdoor playand learning
Park outings are great fun forunder-fives. They provideimportant opportunities tosprint, shout and get muddy. Theyare also ideal for pupils to connectwith nature in a way that is oftendifficult in a school garden... Read more >
Growing Together By Francis Smith, Childcare Expo, September 2017
Why growing fruit and veg with Early Years Pupils is such an enriching experience
My principle ambition for Studio Cultivate’s Early Years education scheme is to encourage pupils to develop a love for outdoor spaces and the animals and plants that inhabit them. I have found that one of the best ways of doing this is to help schools create edible gardens. Edible gardens bring incredible life and meaning to any outdoor space, but most importantly they provide an exciting and broad platform for learning…. Read more >
Little Green Fingers By Francis Smith, Laura Henry Consultancy
Studio Cultivate’s key principle is to realise horticultural potential in people and places
In my previous role working as a landscape contractor I came across many underused and underappreciated outdoor school spaces. In a city where green space is limited I felt it a real shame that their potential for learning, exploration and general fun was often being overlooked. Eighteen months ago I set up the educational wing of Studio Cultivate, with the ambition of revealing to children the importance of plants in almost everything we as humans do, and so bridging the gap between the classroom and the outdoors…. Read more >