Alternative Provision Education
We offer a therapeutic farm school experience for children struggling to engage at school
About Tivington Farm School
The Farm School Experience
The farm school is part of a working National Trust farm at Tivington, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8SU. We breed, raise, and care for hens, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, and ponies. The farm also has poly tunnels, greenhouses, and vegetable plots where together with the children they grow their own produce. The activities on the farm help the children foster an attitude of care and respect towards the animals on the farm and an understanding of the farm to plate chain. The farm school curriculum supports children to learn about themselves, to develop team working skills and to develop confidence, resilience and self esteem. At all times personal skills are being developed e.g. speaking and listening, meeting sensory need and helping to develop self-awareness and positive behaviours.
Staffing
Gina Dyer and her staff are very experienced working with children with social, emotional and behavioural needs and all are fully DBS checked. We utilise our outdoor learning resources to help children discover more about themselves, whilst developing:
· emotional awareness.
· social skills.
· impulse control.
· confidence.
· trust and empathy.
· new ways of thinking and managing negative feelings and emotions.
The Farm School Curriculum
Through the farm school curriculum depending upon the child's needs, they can access the science national curriculum in a practical hands on way, work towards achieving a range of unique in-house badges of achievement which recognise the child’s growing confidence in animal husbandry, rural art activities, horticulture activities as well as innovative entrepreneurial opportunities across all key stages, through honey production, pork sausage making and selling cut flowers in the local farmers market to name but a few.
Our curriculum recognises the therapeutic benefits of working and being with animals, in the other horticultural activities the farm provides and in enjoying time in our forest school provision directly engaging with nature. We place great emphasis on raising children’s awareness of the environment around us, how food is produced and how to live healthily. We use the farm resources to have a positive impact on right choices and behaviour which in turn supports more engaged learning. Our curriculum is innovative in terms of engaging children with their learning around the national curriculum but also in engaging them to appreciate and respect themselves as well as the world around them.
Working with schools to help re-engage children
We are committed to working with schools to identify and prioritise the social, emotional and behavioural targets a child needs to work on. We produce detailed reports at the end of every half term with feedback on how the child has been working towards these targets which can be used for parents as well as EHCP reviews.
Farm school days are Monday to Friday
10.30am - 2.30pm, term time only.
For Sale!
Our farm bees are very productive and we usually have lovely Exmoor honey available to purchase which the children have bottled and labelled. Please email admin@tivingtonfarmschool.com if you would like to collect some.
From June to September we have the most amazing beds of dahlias of all colours. We sell these at the local farmers market on a Friday morning but we can also facilitate farm visits if you are wanting cut flowers for churches or weddings. Use the link above to arrange this.
October / November time we have a huge range of pick your own pumpkins to choose from which is open to the public.
Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
There is no better way to understand how we can help you than coming in to see us and the farm resource.
Tivington Farm
Tivington
Minehead
Somerset
TA24 8SU
Please email admin@tivingtonfarmschool.com to arrange a visit
Tivington Farm School
