WHEN students returned after the Easter break today they were  joined by 20,000 new recruits in school creating a buzz around the corridors but the newcomers won’t be taking part in any lessons and they are all assigned to the one classroom…on the roof.

As you’ve probably already guessed, these are no ordinary pupils but honey bees – the school’s very own St Bon’s Bees.

A special weather-treated cedar hive containing a Queen honey bee and a nucleus was installed over the holidays in an apiary.

The modern no mess, no fuss Flow Hive boasts a clear end-frame so the honey can be clearly seen when it’s ready to harvest as well as making checking the health of the colony easier for specially trained beekeepers in school.

The extraction process is gentle and less stressful for the bees and they hardly notice any disruption as they remain undisturbed and happy. Having the honey on tap is so much easier and the husbandry easier for the beekeepers too as Headteacher Mr Halliwell went on to explain: “We have joined the London Beekeepers’ Association, Epping Forest Beekeepers Association and The British Beekeepers Association so have lots of support and are really excited to get started with our urban hive.

“We have done lots of research and went to see the hive they have set up at The Petchey Academy in Dalston which is working really well. Likewise, West Ham Park is home to several hives and they have been very useful with their help and information. In fact, we have received lots of support and advice and we think it’s really important to educate our students and raise awareness of the issues affecting bees. We have planted seeds to help attract bees to the flower beds on the Friary Lawn and once our colony is  established we plan to sell small pots of honey to staff and students. This could be something Mr Murray and our Young Enterprise Group might want to develop in the future.”

He added: “I feel that helping honey bees and building the plight of bees into the curriculum is very important. Future generations need to aware of the problem that honey bees are at great risk.  Over the past 15 years, colonies of bees have been disappearing, by doing our bit to help rectify this, our students will be made aware of the problem, learn how to care for bees  and hopefully gain an interest in ecology and the natural world.”