On Monday, 12th October, 12 of our Year 9 pupils, accompanied by Miss McCormick and Ms Tomkow, set off on an exciting adventure to Jamie’s Farm in Monmouth, Wales.

After a four-hour journey, the group arrived at the working farm ready for a hands-on week like no other. Each morning, the pupils split into three groups; one team prepared a fresh, two-course breakfast for everyone, while the other two groups headed out early to care for the animals.

We were incredibly lucky to arrive just one hour after the arrival of eight new calves, whom our pupils had the special privilege of feeding throughout the week!

The farm is a no phone site, so pupils had no contact home and no devices for a full 5 days. This digital detox allowed them to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air, as well as reading, playing games and regular check-ins to talk about how they were coping away from home.

Pupils dove headfirst into farm life with a range of hands-on activities:

• 🐴 Animal Care: Mucking out horse stables, hand-feeding chickens, collecting fresh eggs, and feeding, shearing, and transporting sheep around the farm. 🐔🐑
• 🛠️ Land & Farm Skills: Getting stuck into gardening, chopping wood, and building fences.
• 🥾 Outdoor Adventures: Enjoying daily afternoon walks through the countryside, including an impressive mountain hike on Wednesday! 🏔️

To top off an unforgettable week, the group spent their final evening gathered around an outdoor bonfire under the stars, reflecting on their achievements before packing up for the drive home. 

What an incredible experience for our Year 9 pupils. A huge well done to everyone involved!

Scroll through the gallery below to see our young farmers in action 👇