Opening Times

Termtime only. Friday to Friday residential stays.

What makes this a great venue for School group Fun or Educational Visits?

We have 3 very beautiful and very different working farms, Nethercott House in Devon, Wick Court in Gloustershire and Treginnis in Wales where children from urban or deprived areas can stay and learn about farming and food.

What are the Curriculum Topics or Benefit to the students from a visit?

Children work in teams, with animals, outdoors, away from home. The weeks activities give children who struggle academically or socially a chance to shine alongside their peers.

What are the activities?

Depending on the farm the jobs include feeding, grooming, mucking out the animals and a range of seasonal farm jobs. Other activites can include nature walk, cooking and working with artists and makers.

What is the age range of the activities?

Mainly ages 9 - 11, but some secondary schools do visit.

Sample programme of the activities:

The farms run a carefully supervised schedule, the groups are split into three and have an early rise to work on the farm at 7:30, feeding animals, letting them out into the field, in for breakfast, cleaning the yard, working with artists, nature walk, lunch, free time, watching the milking, mucking out, feeding and putting away for evening. This is just a small part of the jobs can include lambing/calving, working in the vegetable garden, cooking, grooming, the list is endless.

What materials to you provide or suggest groups bring to support the visit?

wellies and waterproofs

What are the minimum and maximum group sizes and the free Teacher Ratio?

To run the weeks we really require a full quota of 36 - 40 children to 4 or 5 teachers/responsible adults.

Do you have or how do you arrange risk assessment?

All the farms have full up to date risk assessments

Do you offer Teacher familiarisation days?

We don't as a rule, but we have offered teachers weekends in the past and the opportunity for teachers to come and look around.

What facilities are there for school groups for food and drink, shop etc?

Three meals are provided everyday using produce from the farms or locally sourced as much as possible.
No sweets/crisps etc are allowed.
Once a week we offer the children the opportunity to buy goods from our shop

Is specific clothing required?

Wellies and waterproofs

Do you have first aid on site?

Yes. Fully trained first aiders

Are there any restrictions on photos, copyright etc?

We always ask permission from the schools before photos are taken and if they are to be used for promotional material.

Additional information.

each of the farms has a library, games room and quiet room. There is also classroom space for teachers if they wish which have a range of related topics linking to the national curriculum.