At Elsley Primary School, we give our children a broad set of life experiences to encourage their holistic development. The Elsley Farm allows children to meet and get to know a variety of animals, as well as contributing to their upkeep. 

Currently, we own guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens and have a rotation of visiting sheep, goats and pigs throughout the year.  The children also grow fruit and vegetables in planters that go into the school lunches. 

Contact with the plants and animals happens informally during playtimes and lunchtimes as well as during after school clubs, curriculum lessons, and 1:1 and small group sessions that are tailored to those with particular needs.  On top of this, we host regular visits from our extended community, including the local care home, nursery, parent groups and toddler groups. 

In this way our farm supports our 4 values:

• We learn about the plants and animals and how to care for them.   
• We share the farm with other groups in our locality.  
• We achieve expertise in caring for plants and animals, which gives us a sense of pride.  
• We learn to respect the environment on a local and global level.

Research shows that regular time spent learning outside improves pupils: social skills physical and mental health and well-being behaviour self-confidence ability to manage risk sense of responsibility

 

We aim:

1) For all children at Elsley to access regular, high quality outdoor learning.

2) For all children at Elsley to be ‘nature literate’ by the time they leave the school.

3) For all children at Elsley to understand their global responsibility towards the environment by the time they leave school.

4) For the outdoor space at Elsley to become a community hub for those living in the locality.

 

We are grateful for the support from the Red Hill Trust, which helps us to continue this vital work.

Our Farm Gallery