School Farms Network
How SFN was developed
The
UK's 68 school farms are situated throughout the UK but with particular
concentrations 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 Oathall in the past.
As a result of this drive to create an organisation to aid school farms, the Schools Farm Network (SFN) was set up in 2004. Created jointly by the then Department for Education and Skills (now DCSF) and the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens. The School Farms Network offers support and assistance to school farms, co-ordinate meetings and facilitate networking.
The FCFCG is responsible for co-ordinating the School Farms Network. It offers advice to existing farms and gives help and encouragement to new projects just getting off the ground.
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 full details about the work and benefits of school farms
has been created by FCFCG and Growing Schools (DCSF). 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. Full members of the School Farm Network have received multiple copies of the leaflet. There is a PDF version available to download below.
School farms leaflet
Exhibition 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
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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.
Free resource for teachers and schools
A new 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.teachernet.gov.uk/growingschools
Help and advice
Howard Wood is an FCFCG Fieldworker when he isnt busy running Oathall School Farm and teaching. As an experienced teacher and school farm practitioner, Howard has a wealth of knowledge.
He has now 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 Howard email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and 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 spam bots, 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.
