'Green' Classroom Success

 
A PARTINGTON farm has gained national recognition as a countryside classroom.' The family-run Broad Oak Farm on Warburton Lane, has received the accreditation through the Defra Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS), marking its service to providing a safe, educational place for children to learn about nature and farming.

Farmer Stephen Booth has run educational visits to Broad Oak - a 110 acre farm with pigs, cattle and sheep - for the past three years and has an on-site classroom and live CCTV link-up to bird boxes so visitors can watch blue tits and tree sparrows nesting.

Stephen said: "Visiting a farm can give children a real insight into where their food comes from, and can be a great educational tool to teach about healthy eating, maths and science.

"One child who came, only started drinking milk after he saw a calf suckling here, another agreed to try some fruit after we showed him some cattle eating pears grown on the farm.

"This farm has been in my family for generations, and having the CEVAS accreditation is very important for us."

Youngsters from Timperley-based Forest School paid a visit to the farm last month to become cub reporters'.

advertisementPupils were given a close up view of the running of the farm before producing reports about healthy eating and drawings of the animals.

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