Schools and the National Curriculum

Schools and Clubs

At Farnless Farm Park we welcome schools and clubs to visit and have parking facilities for coaches and an onsite classroom that you can take over for the day so as you have your own base. If you have a club you can take over a field and organise your own day, we are flexible so please tell us what you want from your time at Farnless.

We have highly experienced staff who will take you around the farm and allow you to get up close to the animals as well as giving you information on the animals and modern ways of farming.

For schools we are aiming to tailor your day to the National Curriculum so as the day has benefit as well as being a fantastic fun day out. . We are developing our schools programme so please give us a call and let us know your requirements so we do what you want rather than what we think.

For clubs, the choice is your about what you want out of your visit, again we can offer a walking tour or trailer ride through the parkland you tell us what you want and we’ll do it if we can.

Regardless of who you are we can cater for you if you want, whether it’s a lunch time sandwich or a BBQ, we can even call on the services of Alexander Macmurray if you want something special.

Below we have listed some of the possible activities that you may like to try when your school visits the farm

1. Welcome to the Countryside We propose that the first activity encountered by all groups is a farm safety talk, which is very short but essential and explains about general farm practices and safety, as well as getting the group involved in properly washing their hands having touched animals.

2. Build a bird box In small groups and with adult supervision children can decide on a bird species they want to target and then build a bird box, (all the wood is pre-cut) and attach it to a post. This allows children to follow the procedure from decision making on the bird to completion and implementation of the project.

How to build a nestbox diagram

3. Farm walk A guided farm walk is a fantastic way of expelling excess energy whilst allowing for excellent input and can be used on any group size.

On the walk we aim to stop 2-3 times for close up discussion depending on weather and or time constraints, and will discuss arable farming practices, animal husbandry and the natural environment depending on your requirements.

In very bad weather we will take a covered trailer ride and follow a similar route.

4. Poultry walk throughDepending, of course on the time of year, and the direct situation on the farm a trip though our poultry unit is a fantastic way of seeing an animal’s growth and development. We have a dedicated building that contains incubators and hatchers as well as the nursery, so in small groups it is easy to see and explain how life is created and let children touch chicks through all stages of the lifecycle of poultry from the freshly laid egg to the growing chick.

To see the lifecycle through to completion we can take the students to the Rhea enclosure and they can meet the adult breeding flock and see where the chicks will return when mature enough.

5. Machinery tourA look at the different machines on the farm, and a hands on approach to how they work can be a fascinating experience for those who are mechanically minded.

Using the lifecycle of plants we can tailor a talk to help children identify the machine they’d use to do a job. We then explain how each machine is used and invite the children to have a closer look (with supervision). At no time during the machinery tour will we start an engine without first confirming acceptance with the group leader.

Depending on the time of year students can see the machinery in action.

6. Big animal trip We can only allow visitors into the parkland in our covered trailer and this activity offers the group a chance to get up close with our Bison, Elk and Deer as we drive though the park, a guide will talk about the animals and field questions of which there are normally many.

On this trip we will ask the children to identify the different animals and discuss meat production and where their food actually comes from

Visitor Trailer

We suggest that a teacher or group leader comes to the farm prior to the visit so as we can tailor the visit to your specific requirements and for the best learing outcomes for the students.

This will also be the time to do a Risk Assessment and our staff will act as guides and Safe Climate logo

ensure that health and safety requirements are met.

Measure your families carbon footprint here www.safeclimate.net/calculator/index.php