Norton College is a small 11-19 secondary school and sixth form located in North Yorkshire. The college sits in a deeply rural catchment extending into Ryedale to the north and the Yorkshire Wolds to the south, and east to west through the Vale of Pickering towards Scarborough. Its industry is closely associated with food production, food processing, forestry and rural tourism, all of which have well publicised skills shortages.
The farm closed in 2014 but has been re-started in April 2022.

The School Farm is 1.8 acres and had been fully operational until 2014 when it was closed as a result of funancial resource. The main farm building is approximately 66’ x 44’ and purpose built as an animal house. It is sub-divided by breezeblock walls into eight main areas; six suitable for farm livestock, one suitable for small animals or as a store, and one as an open tool store/potting shed to service both the animals and garden.

We recognise that the farm is too small to be self-standing financially so its operation should be focused on cost limitation rather than profit, with a simple range of enterprises – pigs, poultry, sheep and horticulture, with perhaps some companion animals to give balance, but it offers an abundance of opportunities to enrich students’ education, as well as offering regulated Section 96 qualifications which is an exceptionally appealing message for Ryedale. This provides the opportunity to lever in additional funding from external organisations, particularly where there is a strong synergy with this message. As a result of this potential, and the opportunities its opening would offer to the community, we are currently renovating the farm with a view to reopening in April 2022.