Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include (a) horticulture and (b) gardening in the national curriculum.

In the Schools White Paper, published in 2022, the Department committed to make no further changes to the National Curriculum for the remainder of this Parliament.

The National Curriculum is a framework which sets out the content that schools are expected to cover in each curriculum subject. Teachers are expected to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils the content of the curriculum, tailoring their lessons to the individual needs of the pupils.

Whilst not mentioned as standalone topics, schools have the freedom and flexibility to teach horticulture and gardening. For example, in science pupils are taught about plants and living things and their habitats.

In citizenship, a compulsory part of the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4, pupils undertake school and community based volunteering. Young people are encouraged to tackle local issues in their communities. This could include activities related to the environment and nature, such as community gardening.

Many schools offer enrichment activities, including gardening, to promote an understanding of nature, nutrition and wellbeing among pupils. The Department recognises the significant benefits that extracurricular activities at out of school settings, such as gardening clubs, can have for children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their educational and social development.

The Department is developing draft subject content for a new GCSE in natural history, to be taught from 2025, which will include opportunities for students to gain a deeper knowledge of the natural world around them.

For post 16 students, the Department is introducing employer designed T Levels in Agriculture, Land Management and Production from September this year. This course gives students the opportunity to specialise in ornamental horticulture and landscaping.