Students preparing to ‘Dig for Victory!’
The farm at Oathall was established in 1941 in response the Ministry of Agriculture’s ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign during the Second World War, (which encouraged people to grow their own food to supplement basic rations).
58 boys turned an acre of grassland into arable land and thus qualified for a ploughing grant of £2 from the Ministry of Agriculture, the last sod was turned by the school’s headteacher Mr Miles.
Male students were subsequently released from their afternoon lessons to work on the newly emerging farm providing they brought their own spade!
Poultry and rabbits were quickly introduced and later pigs and bees. Produce from the farm was sold to the school canteen.
Our farm has evolved over the last 70 years and it is now made up of extensive fields, animal enclosures, a large barn and glasshouses to grow seasonal plants.
We keep a variety of livestock including pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry and in 2012 opened a farm shop selling produce made on the farm to the local community.
In recent years we’ve welcomed visitors such as HRH Prince of Wales and Alan Titchmarsh to the farm as well as hundreds of school and community groups.
