Educational Farm Visits For Primary Schools

Cronkshaw Fold Farm has a range of activities suitable for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils.

Accreditation, Risk Assessments, Health & Safety

Cronkshaw Fold Farm is registered by Lancashire County Council for educational visits. All risk assessments are in place. The lead staff are CEVAS trained (Countryside Educational Visit Accreditation Scheme). There are adequate hand washing and toilet facilities. All tours round the farm are accompanied by a qualified member of staff. At no time are children left alone with livestock. There are undercover facilities for wet weather. The visit is essentially an outdoor event so children should be encouraged to wear several layers of warm clothing and boots.

Farm Activities

Pigs

The children are given the opportunity to observe the pigs in the lower barn and learn about their life cycle, their habits, different pig breeds and feeding regimes. Children are generally not allowed to handle the pigs.

Sheep

The children are normally taken on a short walk on the hillside to observe the sheep. They can walk round the sheep and see young and old stock and depending on the time of year there may be an opportunity to see orphan lambs being fed with bottles of milk. The children can view the equipment that is used with the sheep, handle fleeces and learn about the shepherd’s year and the medicines used.

Cows

We have two new calves Ella and Eartha as well as Molly the model milking cow at present. The children have great fun ‘milking’ Molly and are able to see how long it takes to milk a litre of water from her ‘bucket udder’. We support this with a dual udder mock milking stand, so that the children can take part in a timed milking trial.
In the milking parlour display there are various artefacts for the children to examine and handle.

Hens

Children are given the opportunity to feed the hens and collect the eggs. The children can put the eggs through the table top egg grader, to sort for size.

We look at how the feeders and drinkers work, life cycles, chicks and young hens. The children learn about other farm poultry, ducks and geese.

At certain times of the year incubators and brooders are in operation and the children are given the opportunity to handle newly hatched birds.

Grass Land

The children can look at the different types of grasses and learn about their uses.

Soil Project

The children can investigate the different soil types on the the farm.

Environmental Activities

In our Early Years area we have the Nature Detective Headquarters with science based challenges and tasks for the children to complete in groups with their teacher/group leader.

The Pond

Pond-dipping is the childrens’ favourite activity. There is a large pond at Cronkshaw Fold Farm with equipment for pond-dipping and resources to identify water creatures.

The Woodland

The newly planted woodland has a resource box for the children to use. We ask them to compare the differences and similarities of the trees planted. The woodland has created a very pleasant play area with long grasses and rushes growing in amongst the young trees.
Frogs and toads and small mammals inhabit this area. Recently a roe deer buck has been seen jumping over the fences.

Vegetable Gardens

There are two fruit and vegetable gardens at Cronkshaw Fold Farm: a traditional fruit and vegetable plot with a large poly tunnel & a raised bed garden made from recycled materials incorporating a large BBQ/cooking theatre and table. The cooking theatre can be used during visits to cook pre-prepared vegetable kebabs, sometimes using freshly picked produce. Depending on the time of year the children can sow, harvest and weed crops. Produce can also be picked and taken back to school for cooking.

Evacuee Days

Children studying World War 2 are encouraged to dress up and pretend to be an evacuee. The activities for the day start with sending a postcard home to mum! Then we make porridge in a hay box, weed the fruit and vegetable garden, make soup & eat it. Farm jobs are carried out like sweeping the yard & Anderson Shelter, feeding the hens, collecting the eggs and walking round the sheep flock. Depending on the time of year there are different farm tasks to carry out: scarecrow making, lamb feeding, making baskets. Not all the activities can be achieved in a day so please state what your priorities are when booking. Of course seasonality and weather are important considerations.

Visit Procedure

Each educational farm visit is pre-planned with the teacher. When the children arrive at the farm it is helpful if they are already in groups with an adult leader.

A health and safety talk, appropriate to age, is given.
Commence exploring the farm.

For each class of children ( approx 25-30) there is a farm staff member to guide them.
The pre-planning is a ‘must’ as we can’t do everything in a day and the weather and seasonality influence the content of the visits.

"Out of all the school trips we have organised, Cronkshaw Fold Farm was
voted the best place to visit, by most of the year 5 pupils. The
children loved it - we’ll definitely be back next year."

Mrs Chadwick, Year 5 Class Teacher, Norwood Primary School, Southport

Costs

For general farm visits
General Farm Visits, Whole day - 10ish until 2:30ish £7.00 per child
General Farm Visits, Half day - £5.00 per child
Evacuee Days, Whole Day - 10ish until 2:30ish £10.00 per child
Minimum charge for small groups £60.00 per half day - for mainstream schools.

Please contact Joy McCarthy for availability of dates this will save you time.

Confirm your booking with agreed date by completing the booking form

A pre-visit to familiarise yourself with the site and all the facilities is advisable, no charge is made for this, please arrange with Joy. We set aside Monday afternoons for pre-visits, other times can also be arranged with Joy.

Payment is required on the day of the visit, cheques should be made payable to: Joy McCarthy

Waterproofs and wellington boots are advised for cold wet weather
Hats and sun block for hot weather

For further guidance on farm visits see:
www.face-online.org.uk

See the range of Cronkshaw Fold Courses for Teachers