School Farms Network
News Update
Continuing Professional Development training courses aimed at teachers and other School Farm practitioners will be held across England. Subjects range from keeping animals at a primary school farm to using the school farm to raise attainment at GCSE. Find out more by downloading the 
CPD Course Flyer 2010-11.
How the School Farms Network was developed
From a low point in 2006, when there were only 66 school farms, the UK now has 82 and a number of schools actively engaged in starting a new one. They are situated throughout the UK but with particular concentration in South East England and the West Midlands. Developing a formal support structure for them has been an objective for some time, and an initial meeting of school farm practitioners was convened in 2004 at Oathall Community College in Haywards Health, West Sussex, to look at the ways in which this could be taken forward.
HRH The Prince of Wales sent a letter of support for the event and emerging network, in which he said: "I could not be more pleased to be supporting this conference to promote school farms and gardens as centres of excellence and to serve as a resource to enrich and enhance the curriculum". The Prince has a particular interest in the education of children about farming and growing and has himself visited several school farms in the past.
As a result of this drive, the School Farms Network (SFN) was set up in 2004. Created jointly by the then Department for Education and Skills (now Department for Education) and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. The School Farms Network offers support and assistance to school farms, co-ordinates meetings, produces materials and CPD and facilitates networking.
FCFCG is responsible for co-ordinating the School Farms Network. It offers advice to existing farms and those wishing to start a new school farm (teachers, assistants and parents), including finding a mentor and signposting to specialists.
Network meetings
These meetings are an excellent opportunity for school farm staff and volunteers to swap ideas, gain inspiration from the work of their colleagues and discuss how to stimulate understanding and support for school farms.
SFN publications and information
Booklet: An eight-page leaflet giving details about the work and benefits of school farms has been created by FCFCG and Growing Schools. Called School Farms: a vital resource, the leaflet gives a general background to school farms and highlights the role of the School Farms Network and FCFCG's support.
It also demonstrates the benefits of school farms and contains several case studies of school farms throughout the UK. Anyone interested may receive multiple copies of the leaflet. There is a PDF version available to download below:
School Farms Network LeafletExhibition stands: Two stands have been produced with support from Growing Schools and the FCFCG. They are available for loan, please contact Ian Egginton-Metters on 01373 302204 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further details.
E-newsletter: Contains up-to-date information from Network meetings, news stories, information about resources, courses and articles created by school farm practitioners themselves. Please contact Ian if you wish to be added to the mailing list.
Free resource for teachers and schools: A resource was published in July 2007 titled Get Your Hands Dirty to help schools work through the issues involved in developing horticulture and food growing, or considering raising livesctock, in their school grounds. It is free and available via www.growingschools.org.uk
Help and advice
Charlie Olive, from West Somerset Community College, has been chair of SFN since July 2009. Howard Wood is an FCFCG Fieldworker when he isn't busy running Oathall School Farm and teaching.
Together they have offered to help answer questions and discuss issues with individual school farm staff who contact him. Along with Ian, he will also be available to field enquiries and pursue opportunities to help develop the Network, hands-on farming and horticultural education in schools.
To contact Charlie email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
To contact Howard email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Please leave your name, school and telephone number).
Contact information
For further information about SFN please contact the FCFCG Assistant Director Ian Egginton-Metters on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Telephone the main office for general information about the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens on 0117 923 1800 or write to The GreenHouse, Hereford St, Bristol BS3 4NA.
