Schools Programmes & Visits
Grow To Eat
With support from the CLA Charitable Trust
For children aged 8-13 years
A 6-week schools programme, teaching children to grow their own food from scratch on our small-holding. The sessions focus on deepening children’s understanding of the lifecycle of fruit and vegetables from seed to plate, and to teach skills in planting, maintenance and harvesting. We aim to provide children with a unique experience and the wellbeing benefits that a closer connection to the countryside bring.
This programme is open to children in Years 4 up to Year 8, specifically aimed at those that would benefit from some additional support, encouragement, positive experiences and the opportunity to spend time in a different learning environment in a relaxed rural setting.
The sessions will cover topics in alignment with the national curriculum for Science, at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 level. The children will be given an area of the farm to sow their own vegetables, observing how seeds grow into mature crops and understanding the roles that water, light and temperature play in germination and growth. We will also incorporate identifying different parts and functions of flowering plants and the study of common plants, trees and the different natural habitats on our site.
The programme will run during the summer and autumn terms and will consist of a 2-hour session led by our experienced staff each week, for a period of 6 weeks. Sessions can be scheduled for different days either in the morning or afternoon, according to availability. We can cater for group sizes of up to 10 children per session.
We are currently welcoming enquiries for Summer and Autumn 2024.
For further information or to schedule a group booking, please contact Mike Stringer:
(with thanks to Matt Rowe for the fantastic artwork!)
Farm to Fork
For children of any age
On Farm to Fork days, whole school classes or groups visit us, to see a working farm, understand where their food comes from and what is involved in producing it. The activities are adapted to the age and ability of the group and are therefore suitable for all ages from 5-105! On a whole or half day visit, the group will take part in a selection of four fun activities, all designed to teach them about agriculture and food.
Whilst aiming to be fun and enjoyable, the sessions have a strong educational content and fulfill multiple elements of the national curriculum for school groups. The mathematical, communication, scientific skills and knowledge involved in the activities seek to help children understand how what they are learning in school has direct relevance to the real world and their future careers.
Depending on the time of year, the age of the group and the organiser’s preferences, visitors could spend the day on activities including: scarecrow making, picking for orders, sowing seeds, estimating crop yields, apple tasting, plant identification or preparing a meal from the produce on the farm. For many people this may be the first time they have realised that strawberries come in different varieties!
For further information or to schedule a group booking, please contact Mike Stringer:
Living Land
For children of all ages
The Living Land course is a school program which runs one day per week for six weeks. Children take part in a range of activities in the morning, often linked to a project that can be completed in the six week time frame. Lunch is taken together with the staff, focussing on praising each other for their achievements that morning and discussing the challenges they have faced.
The afternoon is taken up with a campfire discussion. One member of the group is chosen to build and light a campfire and everyone toasts marshmallows whilst discussing set topics.
The topics follow a structured scheme put together by a clinical psychologist in order to improve the children’s emotional health by discussing how to be assertive rather than challenging and how to cope with anxiety and stress.
Land Girls
Land Girls is a version of our Living Land course that has been specifically tailored for girls. We know that the girls that come to Bonterre really enjoy and benefit from the farm setting, but there are issues that specifically affect them. Female staff and volunteers work with the girls on a range of issues including additional resources around body image and positive assertiveness.
Girls really benefit from the farm and we are passionate about girls being given opportunities for practical outdoor and rural skills building which may often be considered more for boys.
For further information or bookings for our Living Land or Land Girls courses, please contact Su Langley:
Science Days
For children of all ages
We are privileged to employ staff with a great deal of experience in teaching science to children. Science explains how the real world works and our science days harness the rich environment of our farm to help children deepen their understanding of the science they are learning about in school.
Our science days have been developed by experienced teachers and experts in delivering science events to children. Schools can select from a range of activities tailored to the outcomes of the national curriculum in all three disciplines across all key stages.
As you would expect, we can provide fascinating hands-on investigations and teaching based around horticulture and farming such as soil investigation, growth, pollination, pests and harvesting. However, we also show science in action by looking at animals in their natural habitat, pond dipping and investigating different natural environments.
We can also make use of our large site to facilitate building models of the solar systems and atoms where the scale is correct for size and distance. Children can also take part in engineering challenges to build large structures using hundreds of bamboo canes or investigate wind and solar power on our open, hilly site.
We are happy to work with you to ensure that the science experienced relates closely to the curriculum needs of your children and to adapt what we do to your specific requirements.
To discuss what science activities we can offer, please contact Su Langley:
