Nine schools and colleges entered teams in the 2018 Agricultural Challenge for Special Education hosted by The Newbury and District Agricultural Society at the end of April.
There were seven categories from which teams could choose up to five to enter – all with an agricultural theme:
- A collage on the theme of the Commonwealth Games
- Up to 10 ideas for garden crafts
- Something savoury made for a picnic
- Something on an environmental theme made from recycled materials
- A visual diary of growing a food product from seed through to cooking with it and, optionally, bringing along the end product
- A homemade bug house
- A container of grown spring flowers
The standard of work was extremely high, making it very difficult for the judges. Each student received a certificate for attending; there were certificates for each category as well as certificates, prize money and trophies for the Best In Show and runners up.
There was a real buzz in the room and the students loved talking to the judges about their work as well as seeing what other schools had done. The teachers also found it a great opportunity to share and network with colleagues. All of the teams expressed interest in participating again next year and the Society will be planning new categories with them very soon.
