Prev
Next
Farm Visit
Key Stage 3 pupils down on the farm
"The land is not ours, it belongs to the future and we should leave it in good heart."
Abbey Home Farm
During week commencing 3 December 2018, five small groups of Key Stage 3 pupils from Deer Park School spent a day at Abbey Home Farm, just outside Cirencester. The Farm Project initiative on this working organic farm helps young people gain a deeper understanding of where food comes from through their hands-on experiences as well as improving soft skills.
'Learning outside a traditional classroom offers exciting and invaluable opportunities for personal development. Confidence and self-esteem grow and communication and teamwork strengthen as young people face new experiences and challenges.’ The Farm Project
Mrs Hannis, Senior Year Leader (Year 7) commented: We met The Farm Project Education Coordinator Maya who took us on a tour of the farm. Our first activity was egg collecting, so off we set with a trolley and a pile of egg trays. Using a system of pulling and pushing the trolley (sometimes with passengers) via lots of muddy puddles along the track, we found our way to the hen houses. Over 130 eggs were collected, several hens were hugged and no eggs were broken! Then it was back to the farm to sort and box the eggs ready to be sold in The Organic Farm Shop.
A fire was built to cook lunch, with pupils whittling sticks whilst the sausages sizzled. The grilled farm sausages were served with freshly baked rolls and fresh organic milk from the farm - the ultimate in low food miles. "Lunch was scrummy!" said Amalie (Year 7). We also had the opportunity to meet some of the cows and calves in the barns before we had to return to school.
Our thanks to Maya and her team at the farm for facilitating and providing this great opportunity for our pupils; it was a memorable experience for all.
"The farm trip was so awesome. I would go again if I could as it was so awesome. Pigs are cute." Max (Year 8)
"It was really fun to collect eggs and sit on a tractor." Maygan (Year 8)
"The farm trip was great, I knew everyone who went and I liked working with the eggs." Mia (Year 8)
Mrs Reynolds, Year 8 Year Leader, commented: "It was lovely to see my Year 8 pupils enjoying themselves with the animals. We enjoyed using the egg sorting machine to put the right sized eggs into the boxes and practiced our times tables counting all the eggs. They loved the firelighting and cooking the chipolatas for lunch. They also enjoyed playing tag in the woods and whittling sticks. Maya was lovely and we all learned about organic farming."