A GARDEN could be a school’s secret weapon in its hunt for a Green Guardian award.

Charlton Manor Primary School, Indus Road, Charlton, has been nominated as a Green Primary School for a host of initiatives including its secret garden project.

Its pupils develop and maintain the garden during lunchtime and after school gardening clubs.

Head teacher Ted Baker explained: “If you came into the school you wouldn’t know it was there.

“But when people see it they say ‘wow’. It’s quite an amazing place”

The garden, which includes a workshop, birdboxes and even a weather station, has already won the school an award from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Pupils also help maintain the garden’s beehive, opened by Greenwich and Woolwich MP Nick Raynsford last year, containing around 50,000 bees.

As well as providing honey, the hive is being used by children to learn about pollination and the dwindling numbers of bees in the UK.

A nursery winter garden has been developed and a wide range of fresh and plants have been grown by the pupils.

The fruits of their labours were sold at a summer plant and produce sale last year.

Mr Baker said: “The children love the rewards of planting seeds and seeing them grow and come to life.”

Charlton Manor also has a pupil-run Green Council which has worked on various other projects, including helping with the design for solar panels on the school’s roof.