A Valuable Learning Resource

9th January 2014Oathall

Farm artThe farm is a fantastic facility which enhances student learning at Oathall in many different ways.  We are able to offer recognised qualifications in this field but different subject areas use it in a practical way to aid learning including art, maths, English, science and even ICT.

How is the farm used to learn?

  • Our art students use the animals for still life drawing
  • Year 7 students get to grips with statistics in maths lessons by tracking the growth of lambs in the summer months
  • Science students undertake many visits to the Farm to understand animal nutrition, the structure of plants, microbes and ecosystems amongst other things
  • ICT students in Year 7 take digital photos on the farm and assemble their own digital guide to it
  • The farm is used in the study of a number of English texts and as a source of inspiration for poetry
  • Business studies students use the farm and shop as a case study for enterprising activities
  • The farm is also used in the delivery of our land based and horticultural qualifications.

Other schools and community groups visit Oathall Farm and gain a lot from the experience.

You can see some photos of our farm here via the school’s Flickr pages

A Year in the Life of Oathall Farm

13th December 2013Oathall
A cold winter morning on Oathall Farm

A cold winter morning on Oathall Farm

Twelve months, four seasons, one farm, welcome to Oathall.

January

  • Bulbs begin to push through the ground.
  • Early in the month the sheep scanner comes to tell us whether our ewes are carrying single, twin or triplet lambs.
  • We must prune our fruit trees on frost free days.

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Art on the Farm

9th December 2013Oathall
Art on the farm

Art from the farm

The art department has a long standing partnership with the school farm. Many students have a story about how a pig has nibbled their sketchbook or nudged them while being drawn. U

sing the farm environment and the animals for first hand observation is a highly valued resource and offers our students a far richer learning experience than copying from photographs in the classroom.

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Literature links

3rd October 2013Oathall
Piglets sharing secrets!

Squealer and Snowball sharing secrets on our ‘Animal Farm’

The school farm provides a valuable resource for many aspects of learning English.

Speaking and listening skills are enhanced by visits to the farm. The introductory talks illustrated by live visual aids provide a stimulating environment for listening/ recall skills.

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A Scientific Hotspot

2nd October 2013Oathall
Milking on the farm

Milking on the farm helps students get to grips with microbes

The farm is an extremely valuable resource in the study of science; it is used across all year groups and across specialisms.

One of the real benefits of the farm is providing a practical or visual focus for topics which would otherwise be seen on TV, read in textbooks or just discussed cold.

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Digital Farm Guide

16th September 2013Oathall
Students are introduced to some of the animals on the farm

Students are introduced to some of the animals on the farm

During the early part of their ICT course students in Year 7 develop their desktop skills using Microsoft Word and Publisher.

Students will use approximately 25% of their curriculum time in ICT to produce a Farm Guide making use of all their ICT skills. They are given the opportunity to visit the farm to take digital photographs.

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