School groups can book in for a curriculum related visit on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am until 12noon.
We provide the teachers with an Education Pack and Risk Assessment by email and they are welcome to make an appointment for a pre-visit tour one afternoon after school.
The visit starts in our Education Room with a brief film about cows and milking for younger children where the curriculum focus is usually about animals, food production, packaging or the importance of farming. For older pupils the focus is often about rebranding, sustainable farming, biodiversity and genetics and we start with a question and answer session with the students. This is then followed by safety and handwashing guidance before a tour of the farm.
The highlight for all age groups is getting close to the calves and cows and feeding them. Different topic areas are built into the tour depending on the age and focus for the visit. For example if the topic is about food we spend more time looking at what the cows eat, talking about milk and veal production and looking at the milk and meat in the farm shop. If the focus is on rebranding/ diversification we spend less time with the cows and more time exploring the ways the buildings have changed and developed to house farm shop, café and Heritage Centre. Pupils often interview customers and evaluate the aesthetics and convenience of our different enterprises.
Children with Special Educational Needs get a very valuable experience from a more ‘hands on’ visit.
All groups get an opportunity to try our Briddlesford milk and complimentary tea/coffee is offered to staff.
We are able to offer 25 free visits a year through out Higher Level Stewardship funding and then we charge £2 per head.
Chris and Judi Griffin lead the visits and are both CEVAS (Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme) trained.