Harry has them gardening

by Nadia Sam-Daliri

Pupils donned thick-rimmed homemade specs in homage to funnyman Harry Hill as he opened a sensory garden in their school.

Jack Taylor School, in Ainsworth Way, Kilburn has been kitted out with herb gardens, padded floors and gadgets so that its students, many of whom are in wheelchairs, visually impaired or autistic, can use the facilities.

The star of TV Burp, Mr Hill posed with the youngsters and said how impressed he was with the project.

Lucia Santi, the school's assistant head, came up with the idea of the garden and coordinated its �120,000 funding.

She said: "It used to be a wasteland and a place where children didn't want to be. A lot of our pupils live in high rises and don't have the opportunity to get out. The garden is an extended classroom and the children are learning so much in it. We watched TV Burp last week and the older ones helped the younger ones make paper specs to show Harry. I think they've been pretty excited about his visit!"

Mr Hill said: "The staff at Jack Taylor School have worked incredibly hard to make this idea a reality and they have done so with real imagination. I have been very impressed with the design and the use of colour and texture."

Other schools and community projects that work with special needs children are now being encouraged to bring them to the garden.

The five-year project was jointly funded by the school governing body and charities Lifeline 4 Kids, the John Lyon's Charity, the Philological Foundation and the South Bank International School Parents' Association.

Lorna Walker, who designed the garden with fellow garden designer Janet Lynam, said: "We were able to work with the Listed status of the Alexandra and Ainsworth Estate in subtle ways. Quite often we worked around existing features, either by disguising them or incorporating them into our design."

nadia.sam-daliri@archant.co.uk