Guided Visits for schools – Cross curricular days facilitated by our Award-Winning Education Team

Have you every wondered where your food comes from?  Explore the farm, our wonderful polytunnel, growing crops and discover what happens during the farming year.

Learn about nutrition and cook a healthy pizza from scratch to take back to school.

The day includes a tractor and trailer ride around the farm.

The perfect choice for topics relating to the environment and climate change.  The day will be adapted to suit the age and needs of the children.

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development and understanding the world.

KS1 – PSHE, Science, D&T, Maths

KS2 – PSHE, Science, D&T, Geography, Maths

Our Field to Fork day is our most popular themed day, where children learn how their food is produced.

Schools can now book a Beehive Experience where they will learn why honeybees are so important to farmers, find out how the hive works and the fascinating process of how bees turn nectar into honey. This activity lasts about an hour and carries an additional charge of £2 per child. Children will visit growing crops and learn how nectar from different crops creates different types of honey.

The day will be adapted to suit the age and needs of the children.

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development and understanding the world.

KS1 – PSHE, Science, D&T, Maths

KS2 – PSHE, Science, D&T, Geography, Maths

This classic story comes to life for children when they visit Barleylands.  They will look at the wheat growing outside, take a tractor and trailer ride around the farm and spot the animals who DIDN’T help the little red hen!  When we have checked all the animals are fed and happy, we can peek to see if our hens have laid any eggs.

In our Discovery Centre, children learn more about wheat production and see the grinding process.  The day also includes a cookery workshop where all children will make a tasty bread roll from scratch to take home and share.

This flexible theme has links with

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development, literacy, understanding the world, maths expressive arts and design.

KS1 – PSHE, literacy, maths, and D&T

On a Nature Detective Day, children can explore the world of tiny creatures.  We will take magnifiers into the woodland walk as well as visiting other wildlife on the farm, so lots of fresh air and fun outside.    Children will enjoy Julia Donaldson’s wonderful Woolly Bear Caterpillar story and cook delicious butterfly biscuits to take back to school.  There will be time for a tractor and trailer ride around the farm, and a visit to see the animals on the farm.

EYFS – communications and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design.

KS1 – PHSE, science, maths, D&T

KS2 – PHSE, science, maths,  D&T

Barleylands is the place to visit to find out what was happening on our farms throughout the war years, and what action had to be taken when we could not import food.

Children will have the opportunity to prepare and cook a wartime meal from scratch to take back to school.  They will be shown their wartime rations and use some of their rations, along with seasonal vegetables to make the famous ‘Woolton Pie”;

This recipe was produced for the British public by the Ministry of Food during the second world war and named after the Minister of Food himself!  Made entirely of vegetables and created at the Savoy Hotel in London by its chef Francis Latry, it is an excellent dish to prepare and compare the nutritional value of what we eat today compared to what we were eating during rationing!

Life in the countryside changed dramatically as a consequence of the war and we are in a unique position to demonstrate first hand how the many evacuees would have spent their time away from home and how the land girls contributed to the war effort.  In our Discovery Centre you will see many examples of tools and machinery used during the war and even get the chance to meet our animals to gain an appreciation of life on a farm during the war years.

Barleylands itself had an important role to play during the war, we look forward to telling you more!

If the Victorian era is your topic, then Barleylands is a great destination to learn about farming during Victorian times, and what life as a Victorian child on the farm would have been like.  We encourage children to dress the part, and step back in time with our experienced staff dressed as farm labourers.  They will visit our discovery centre where they will churn some butter and explore our Victorian artefacts.  In the kitchen, children will make bread, the staple of the Victorian diet to take back to school.

We are used to hungry animals on the Farm, but none as hungry as the Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Eric Carl’s classic story comes to life at Barleylands, where children have the opportunity to follow the caterpillar trail, learn about the different foods grown on the farm, and find evidence in our polytunnel that he was DEFINITELY there!  Explore the importance of a healthy balanced diet and eating a rainbow of food (that caterpillar knew what he was doing).  The children will make a layered rainbow salad of fruit and vegetables to take home and enjoy.  There will also be time for a tractor and trailer ride around the farm, and a visit to see the animals on the farm.

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development, literacy, maths, understanding the world.

KS1 – PHSE and development of social skills, Science, D&T, Literacy and Maths

This themed day is an excellent opportunity for children to enjoy a blended curriculum while having fun on the farm.   We link this traditional tale to an exploration of where in the world our food comes from.  Children will develop an understanding of the ingredients used in making gingerbread and explore how and where they are grown.  In the kitchen, children make and bake their own gingerbread man to take home.  Outside, they will meet the farm animals, including the ones who chased the Gingerbread Man and there will also be time for a tractor and trailer ride around the farm.

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social, and emotional development, literacy, maths, understanding the world, expressive arts, and design.

KS1- PSHE and development of social skills, science, D&T, Geography, Maths and Literacy links.

Enjoy a day on the farm with lots of fresh air, animal feeding, a tractor and trailer ride, and the most exciting part; make your own ice cream.

Ask any child where milk comes from and they will invariably take pride in supplying ‘cows’ as the answer, but this trip will enable them to consider other animals which provide us with milk and to discuss the many foods that are derived from this essential product.

You will work in a group to make your ice cream and learn about the ingredients we need to make this delicious treat.  There will be time to eat it too.

We can tailor this day to suit different class sizes.  Ice cream flavours depend on the time of year and fruit available.

EYFS – communications and language, physical development, PSED, understanding the world.

KS1 – social skills, D&T, Science, Maths

KS2 – social skills, D&T, Science, Maths.  For KS2 children, this day can be adapted to have more focus on STEM education, exploring how to make ice cream without a freezer. (Additional costs apply).

Children are natural scientists with a never-ending curiosity of find out “what will happen if…”

Our Amazing Kitchen Science Day allows them to work scientifically, making predictions and fully participating in a range of experiments using everyday farm grown ingredients. Through first hand, practical experience children will use simple equipment to perform exciting tests and they will use their observations to answer questions.

The science concepts covered can include, identifying materials, properties of materials, solids, liquids, and gases, changing state of matter, reversible and irreversible change.  The day is pitched at an age-appropriate level.

From cornflour slime to lava lunacy, the day is guaranteed to be messy, noisy and lots and lots of fun.

This day links to: –

Y1- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, everyday materials)

Y2- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, uses of everyday materials)

Y3-PSHE, Science (working scientifically)

Y4- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, states of matter)

Y5- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, properties and changes of materials)

Children learn most successfully by ‘doing’ and what better place to ‘do’ science than on the farm.  Our Edible Science Day gives children the opportunity to discover the wonders of milk, explore the methods involved in producing milk and the important role that Dairy Farmers play in the UK.

The really fun part is churning your own butter and making bread from scratch to take home with you.

This day links to

Y1- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, everyday materials)

Y2- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, uses of everyday materials)

Y3-PSHE, Science (working scientifically)

Y4- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, states of matter)

Y5- PSHE, Science (working scientifically, properties and changes of materials)

Y6- PSHE, Science (working scientifically)

We are what we eat!

This visit will really get your pupils thinking.  It can be adapted to suit all age groups, and with all our themed days, we will be happy to zone in on specific areas you may be covering in class.

As well as playing the interactive food miles game, children will enjoy exploring the farm, feeding the animals, and going for a ride on the tractor and trailer.  The Discovery Centre will encourage them to explore food production past and present as well as tracking the air miles involved in our most commonly imported foods.

In the kitchen, children will prepare a layered salad and bake a fresh bread roll from scratch! Please note, KS1 children will only make a layered salad and not the bread roll as time does not allow.

KS1 – PSHE, D&T, Geography, Science

KS2 – PSHE, D&T, Geography, Science

Here at Barleylands, we are lucky to house the wonderful Imperial Birds of Prey who care for a truly spectacular range of predatory wildlife.  The Imperial staff love to share their knowledge and expertise with the public and they are particularly supportive of our “Habitats and Food Chains” themed day*.  Children can get up close to a wide range of animals as they see the theory of food chains coming to life in front of them.

You can choose a bird or reptile workshop.

As well as feathered friends, children will be able to see a wide range of reptiles, exotic animals, and of course the lovely farm animals at Barleylands.

If you are bringing 60 children or fewer, we can offer a cookery workshop making either owl biscuits or a healthy pizza from scratch depending on the age of the children.

This flexible day can be arranged to suit the age of your children as well as enhancing your specific science or geography topic.  It is a perfect choice for schools reading Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. KS1 children may prefer our Owl Babies Day.

*This topic carries an additional £1.00 per child as this includes a session from the Imperial Birds of Prey Team.

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, understanding the world.

KS1 – PSHE, science, geography, D&T (if cooking)

KS2 – PSHE, science, geography, D&T (if cooking)

Could you survive the day as a Stone Age child?  We will follow the story of Stone Age boy and his new friend Om and travel 20,000 years into the past.

Children will compare the life of the first farmers to modern day farmers.  Grind wheat using a quern, prepare and make a Stone Age stew using ingredients that would have been available during Stone Age times, and make their own Stone Age bread using an ancient variety of flour.

On the farm, children will meet our animals, explore our polytunnel, and compare finding your food in the 21^st Century to Stone Age times.  Children will also have the opportunity to create their own cave art around our Stone Age Fire prop in our Discovery Centre.

This is a busy exciting day which can be adjusted to suit a range of age groups.   Please note that due to allergies, children will not make their own individual stew, it will be team work, but you are welcome to take a pot back to school with you.

KS1 – PSHE, D&T, History, (develop an awareness of the past)

KS2 – PSHE, D&T, History (changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age)

The science topic we know many teachers dread!  How to make rocks and soils exciting while avoiding muddy carnage in the classroom.

Why not let us deal with all of that?  After all, we have rocks and soil galore here at Barleylands, and strange as it might seem we are very passionate about soil!  We help children to develop an understanding of why soil is so important to farmers, and why we, in supporting farmers must respect and value it.

Our hands on Rocks and Soils Day allows them to touch, smell, squish and generally get down to earth with it as they explore its composition.  They will learn about different types of soil, where in the UK they are most likely to find the different types and the effect this has on how and where we choose to grow crops.

Of course, without soil, we would have no food!  Children will have the chance to explore seasonal fruit and veg in our polytunnel as well as checking out the crop tyres.  Back in the kitchen they can create an edible soil horizon using sweets and biscuits to help them understand the different layers in soil composition.

KS2 – PSHE, Science, D&T, Geography.

Did you know we have owls here at Barleylands?   The Classical story Owl Babies is a great way to learn about food chains, habitats, classification, and prediction .  Children will explore our story sack, visit the lovely owls at the Imperial Birds of Prey Academy, and meet many other animals on the farm.  This day can really enhance your specific science or geography topic. And of course, no day would be complete without a cookery workshop. Your children will create delicious owl biscuits from scratch to take home and enjoy. We just can’t guarantee they will be willing to share .

For an additional £1.00 per child why not have your own workshop facilitated by The Imperial Birds of Prey Team * based here at Barleylands ! *( The Imperial Birds of Prey workshop is suitable for groups of 60 or below )

EYFS – communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, understanding the world.

KS1 – PSHE, science, geography, D&T