PIP'S PAGE November 2009

On Tuesday 24th November a group of year 9 pupils from St. Gabriel's High School attended a taster session for the new Environmental and Land Based Learning Diploma which was held at Cronkshaw Fold Farm, Rossendale. During the session the pupils experienced various activities designed to give them an insight into the industries and skills which are involved in the Environmental and Land Based sector. These included hedge laying, dry stone walling, managing an allotment, shepherding skills, environmental responsibility, caring for livestock and egg grading! Despite the weather being as expected for a November day on a Lancashire Hill Farm with cool temperatures, a biting wind and frequent showers, the pupils thoroughly enjoyed themselves, were exceptionally well behaved and now look forward to furthering their interest in the Environmental and Land Based Learning Diploma in the months to come. Below is an account of the day written by two year 9 pupils from St. Gabriel's.

We were all very excited to go as it was a unique opportunity for us to understand more about the new Environmental and Land Based Learning Diploma. It was also a good chance for us to learn in a different style to the lessons that we normally have in school. We went up to the farm in the school minibus, put on some warmer clothes (it was very cold!) and then listened to Joy the farmer as she explained the day to us. We then went on a walk around Cronkshaw Fold Farm and looked at many different jobs which a farmer has to do on their land. One of the more interesting parts of the trip was watching a dry stone wall being rebuilt, because we learnt about where the stones came from, who originally built the walls, as well as how much they cost to build and how much a waller could earn in a day. We visited the farm's allotment and learnt about which vegetables grew best in certain locations and which season to grow different vegetables in, we picked some of the vegetables from the allotment and used these to feed the pigs and goats on the farm. We enjoyed watching the shepherd herding this sheep using a sheepdog, and then helping the shepherd to carry out some health checks on the sheep, before looking at and learning about how to care for the calves, chickens, pigs and goat kids in the farmers' barn. The visit has helped us to understand some of the skills and topics which will be taught in the ELB Diploma and the kind of industries which you could work in once we had finished our studies - it is definitely not just about learning to be a farmer!