Classes for Home Educating Families
During term time we offer a programme of classes for families who home educate their children. Sessions always start with animal care and feeding, followed by experiential learning, often using the natural resources at the farm and in its hedgerows, themed around the seasons, nature and the natural world. We run woodworking and conservation sessions for families with older children.
Example learning experiences
In spring/summer sessions our learning has included sessions themed around: planting and growing, working with new-shorn raw wool, making elderflower cordial, building mini-ponds, making sun-dials, making nature mandalas, building dens, make natural paints, making green man masks, making flower crowns.
In autumn/winter we focus on gathering and preserving the harvest, with apple pie and crumble making, hedgerow jelly, and chutney making, toffee apples, apple juicing, autumn leaf-printing, pumpkin carving, pumpkin pie making, and making seasonal decorations for Halloween, Christmas and Bonfire Night.
Woodworking and Conservation
Combining farm-based woodwork projects, and conservation work, this group has built a climbing frame for goats, learned how to lay dry-hedging, learnt how to use a moth trap to identify and count moths, built a bug hotel from pallets, propagated and planted willow, and learned how to identify a range of bird species from their calls.
What the young people say...
“At the farm we made a pie and I dig” E aged 3
“The farm makes me feel free, with my friends. I love feeding the animals and the chickens are the best!” R – aged 6
“I love seeing the animals and feeding them and I love their names. I love doing different things with other children, I love the activities you think of and exploring on the farm learning new things.” A aged 7
“I like that everyone is kind to me there. I got a special job writing the names for everyone and I liked it. I like that I’m indoors and outdoors at the same time and I can move around lots.”
B – aged 8
“The animals understand my feelings. I enjoy looking after them.” A – aged 12