PIES Badge Based Curriculum
Gardening and Survival helps children develop a connection with the natural world while building practical outdoor skills. Through growing plants, managing resources and exploring survival principles, children learn responsibility, resilience, environmental awareness and self-reliance. The area encourages curiosity, problem-solving and an appreciation of how people interact with nature.
🏅 PIES Summary Badge
Area: Gardening and Survival
Badge: Gardening and Survival Summary Badge
Purpose of This Badge
This Summary Badge provides an opportunity to celebrate everything your child has explored, practised and developed within the Gardening and Survival area.
By looking back over completed badges, you can recognise progress, identify strengths and celebrate achievements that may otherwise go unnoticed.
This badge is designed to help you appreciate how far your child has come while looking forward to future growth and development.
Completed Badges Review
✅ Observation and Patience
✅ Plant Identification
✅ Soil and Composting Basics
✅ Planting and Growing
✅ Garden Maintenance
✅ Harvesting and Storage
✅ Resource Management
✅ Shelter Building
✅ Fire Safety and Building
✅ Water Sourcing and Purification
✅ Basic First Aid
✅ Navigation and Orientation
Consider revisiting completed Evidence Records, Journey Journal entries, projects, discussions and experiences that contributed to each badge.
Looking Back
Use the completed badges, Evidence Records and Journey Journal entries to reflect on your child's development.
Consider:
Which gardening or outdoor experiences generated the most enthusiasm?
How has your child's confidence outdoors changed during this area?
What new practical skills has your child developed?
When did your child demonstrate patience, responsibility or perseverance?
Which survival or problem-solving activities were most meaningful?
What achievements stand out most when you look back over the completed badges?
There are no right or wrong answers.
The purpose of this reflection is to help you recognise growth that may not always be obvious when viewed day by day.
Progress Through the PIES Stages
Reflect on your child's current stage.
🌱 Early Years (0–4)
Children often explore nature through their senses, notice plants and animals, participate in simple gardening activities and develop curiosity about the world around them.
🔍 Discovery Years (5–7)
Children often begin identifying plants, helping with growing activities, developing awareness of safety and taking part in simple outdoor responsibilities.
🚀 Exploration Years (8–11)
Children often develop practical gardening skills, learn how natural systems work, explore problem-solving and begin understanding resource management and outdoor survival concepts.
🌟 Independence Years (12–15)
Young people often demonstrate increasing responsibility when caring for plants, managing projects, assessing risks and applying practical outdoor knowledge.
🎓 Young Adult Years (16–18)
Young adults often combine gardening, environmental awareness and survival skills confidently while demonstrating growing independence, resilience and self-reliance.
Consider how your child is developing within their current stage and whether they are demonstrating increasing confidence, independence and capability.
Knowledge Developed
Throughout this area, your child has had opportunities to develop knowledge of:
Plant growth, identification and care
Soil health, composting and ecosystems
Resource management and environmental stewardship
Outdoor safety, shelter and survival principles
Navigation, first aid and water management
These examples may help when completing your PIES Evidence Record.
Skills Practised
Throughout this area, your child has had opportunities to practise:
Observation and recording
Gardening and plant care
Problem-solving and decision-making
Outdoor safety and survival awareness
Planning, organisation and resource management
These examples may help when completing your PIES Evidence Record.
Understanding Gained
Throughout this area, your child has had opportunities to develop understanding of:
Living things require care, patience and suitable conditions to thrive
Natural systems are connected and interdependent
Resources should be used responsibly and sustainably
Preparation and knowledge support safety and resilience
Practical outdoor skills can increase confidence and independence
These examples may help when completing your PIES Evidence Record.
Celebrating Achievement
Reflect on the achievements that stand out most during this area.
Consider:
🌟 What has your child achieved that makes you proud?
Which gardening skill showed the greatest development?
When did your child demonstrate patience while waiting for growth or results?
What outdoor challenge helped build confidence?
Which badge experience encouraged the most curiosity about nature?
How has your child shown increasing responsibility when caring for living things or managing resources?
Achievement should not be measured through comparison with others.
Achievement may include effort, perseverance, confidence, participation, responsibility, resilience or personal growth. Sometimes the most valuable achievements are the small steps that gradually build confidence and capability over time.
⭐ Emerging Strengths
Throughout this area, your child may have demonstrated particular strengths.
Consider:
Which skills appear most naturally?
Which activities were completed with enthusiasm?
Which experiences were repeatedly chosen?
Which achievements stand out most?
Which areas showed the greatest confidence?
Which experiences generated curiosity or excitement?
Which skills would your child happily practise again?
These observations may help identify future interests, talents and areas for further exploration.
Remember that strengths do not need to be exceptional to be valuable.
Small interests often grow into lifelong passions when they are recognised and nurtured.
Learning Summary
Using your completed Evidence Records, write a summary of your child's development within this area.
Example:
During this Gardening and Survival area, my child developed a deeper understanding of nature, plants and practical outdoor skills. They learned how plants grow, how natural resources can be managed responsibly and how people can prepare for outdoor challenges safely. Through gardening activities, outdoor exploration and survival-themed experiences, they demonstrated increasing patience, responsibility and confidence. They showed curiosity when identifying plants, caring for growing spaces and learning practical skills such as navigation, first aid and resource management. Over time, they became more independent and developed a stronger connection to the natural world.
Looking Ahead
Consider what you would like to explore next year.
You might think about:
new interests
new experiences
further challenges
developing confidence
increasing independence
You may wish to explore:
growing a wider variety of food plants and crops
participating in more advanced outdoor skills or conservation projects
developing leadership and responsibility during outdoor learning experiences
Remember that development is a journey rather than a destination.
The aim is not to achieve perfection, but to continue providing meaningful opportunities for growth, enjoyment and discovery.
Parent Reassurance
Every child develops differently. This Summary Badge is an opportunity to celebrate progress, not perfection.
By reflecting on your child's experiences and achievements, you are creating a valuable record of their educational journey and recognising learning that has taken place throughout everyday life.
The goal is not to compare your child to others. The goal is to recognise, record and celebrate growth.