LEAF Education - Suite of Offers for Farmers

LEAF Education Suite of Offers for Farmers

Who are we?

LEAF Education works across the education, farming and food sectors to inspire, engage and mobilise farmers and teachers about the value of farming in a learning context.

We provide training and resources for teachers and help farmers navigate the world of education and support them in working with schools.

We want to positively influence the next generation about agriculture to support farming, food production and the environment. We aim to do this by delivering inspiring and stimulating opportunities through education and wider public engagement.

Don’t just take our word for it...

“

The children really enjoyed the tour of the farm and being able to go into the field to see the animals close up; a real chance to get out of the classroom environment and continue learning.” - Year 3 teacher

“

It really opened my eyes to see how a farm is run as a multi-million pound business, and to think about all the decisions the farmer has to make, not just what crops to grow.”

- A Level Business Studies student

“

Everything about the day worked perfectly and the content was well planned so that the children were given bite size information that could easily be digested and retained ..… a great day which really stimulated the children and gave them food for thought and skills for life.”

- Trainee teacher

“

The careers fair was excellent and for we teachers at least, there was a lot of info we could use to help students with option choices and to give to our careers staff. Some of my students have actually changed their minds about the direction they are going in. One of mine is currently doing work experience in farming, which she organised herself after taking part.”

- Secondary Food & Nutrition Teacher

How you can get involved Whether you’re completely new to working with schools or have been hosting farm visits for years, LEAF Education can support you to take the next step.

There are loads of ways to connect your farm with the classroom and help children experience food, farming and the countryside. Whether you’re completely new or are looking for fresh ideas, LEAF Education is here to help with whatever type of activity you choose. Here are some of the ways you can get involved.

1. Farmer Time This is a fortnightly, ten minute Skype or FaceTime call between the farm and the classroom. It’s a great way to start engaging with children and young people. We’ll match you with a school and help you plan and conduct your first call.

2. Membership By becoming a LEAF Education member you join thousands of like-minded farmers who want to access deeper support to engage with schools both on and off the farm. We directly support members to connect with schools and provide training to expand what you can do.

3. Access Training To get you ready to host your first farm visit, LEAF Education provides training to prepare you to deliver high-quality, safe farm visits. From ensuring safety to designing the experience, our training and resources give you the tools and knowledge to provide excellent educational experiences on the farm.

4. Host your first visit After completing CEVAS training you’ll be ready to start hosting farm visits. But our support for LEAF Education members doesn’t stop there. Our local RECs can continue to support you and help you develop what you’re able to offer.

5. CEVAS + This course is designed for anyone who took the CEVAS qualification over 5 years ago and wishes to update their knowledge and skills in terms of educational visits to farms. You’ll discover new ways to engage with schools, raise your standard of curriculum-linked farm visits, fine tune your health and safety practice to ensure you are compliant with the Industry Code of Practice and share best practice and new resources with other farm educators.

Farmer Time Founded by Farmer Tom and managed by LEAF Education, Farmer Time is transforming how farmers connect children with their food and where it comes from.

Farmer Time is all about harnessing the power of digital communications to inspire and engage young people about farming and where their food comes from. Children chat live to farmers from their classrooms through FaceTime or Skype, discuss ideas, ask questions, share knowledge and gain a ‘real-time’ understanding of the issues farmers face every day. For further information and to read case studies of farmers who have already been involved in the project, visit https://leafuk.org/farmertime/home/farmers “What better way to communicate with the next generation of consumers than to go live into their classroom. Children are so used to tech these days that FaceTime is very natural for them and it offers a window on to a world that most of them would never see otherwise.”

How to get involved For further information on Farmer Time and how you can take part please visit: farmertime.org or contact Tabitha Salisbury, our LEAF Education Programme Coordinator: Tabitha.Salisbury@leafuk.org Sponsored by:

Become a LEAF Education Member Introduction Our Farmer and Educator membership category is designed for individual farmers, small independent farms and schools. Whilst supporting LEAF’s core work in education, LEAF Farmer and Educator members are introduced to a highly active network of like-minded people. LEAF can help to enhance visits to members’ farms and provide support in creating connections with local schools. Equally, members can offer schools their expertise and enthusiasm about food and farming.

Benefits of membership • Invitations to the LEAF Education and Public Engagement Conference, plus ad-hoc supporter networking sessions • Access to CPD and personal training • LEAF members’ e-news, newsletters, reports and communications • Licence to add the LEAF Education logo to publications, promotional material and website • Keep up-to-date on the latest opportunities and features within the sector • Access to educational seminars, workshops and events • Contribute to LEAF Education’s core work, e.g. writing articles for newsletter • Members’ Communications Toolkit detailing how to get the most from membership, how to use digital collateral, LEAF logos, social media and more • 30% Discount on LEAF Information Boards for the farm / school • After completing the necessary training, becoming LEAF Education Ambassadors maximising our impact LEAF Education Farmer and Educator membership rates (reviewed annually in November, excl VAT): £62 + vat

CEVAS Farmer Training To get you ready to host your first farm visit, LEAF Education provides training to prepare you to deliver high-quality, safe farm visits. From ensuring safety to designing the experience, our training and resources give you the tools and knowledge to provide excellent educational experiences on the farm.

Knowing how to start hosting farm visits can be daunting but we’re here to help. From ensuring safety to designing the experiences, our training gives you the tools and knowledge to provide excellent educational experiences on the farm. LEAF Education has an excellent reputation for high quality training of farmers and farm educators. Our training materials and courses will help get you started, expand what you can offer, build your confidence and ensure you’re ready to host visits that inspire the next generation. Our team of expert educators have worked with retailers, food brands, farming unions, agricultural societies, colleges, charities and government agencies to equip individuals and teams for working with schools.

“Absolutely fantastic workshop, lots of ideas and inspiration. I can’t wait to work with secondary schools to deliver on my farm.” - Farmer at a LEAF Education training event

What is CEVAS? CEVAS (Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme) is an accredited training programme for anyone wanting to provide education or therapeutic (care farming) experiences on a farm or countryside location. CEVAS-trained farmers welcome ½ million school children onto farm every year. A nationally recognised accreditation, the scheme offers training for individuals who are working – or plan to work – with groups of school children, young people or clients with additional needs.

CEVAS involves two days’ attendance at a farm or countryside location where you will learn about the practicalities involved in hosting visits, how food and farming can be incorporated into the school curriculum, and how to communicate effectively with both teachers and pupils. With the help of your tutor you will gather useful documents into a portfolio which is then submitted for accreditation. We help you every step of the way!

CEVAS includes an OCN Level 2 award and then CEVAS accreditation, developed with members of the Access to Farms partnership, is not only useful for personal development but is also recognised by a number of insurers, schools and local authorities as a mark of good practice. It is usually heavily discounted thanks to sponsorship and donations.

Watch a short film about CEVAS here: https://youtu.be/S27OOy_L3Ks Training is coordinated and delivered by the Access to Farms partnership and accredited

by Credit4Learning, part of the Open College Network (OCN). CEVAS-accredited farmers are also entitled to display the trained personnel logo in recognition of their learning and preparation for high-quality visits and farm experiences.

CEVAS by distance learning CEVAS (Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme) is an accredited training programme for anyone wanting to provide education or therapeutic (care farming) experiences on a farm or countryside location.

If you are already an experienced host of farm visits, you might prefer to consider the distance learning option to achieve the accreditation. This is not recommended for those who are just starting out with visits.

The distance learning package offers the same modules and resources. You will be assigned to an experienced CEVAS trainer with whom you can liaise throughout the course. Your trainer will offer advice and support and will make an initial check of your work before it is submitted for moderation and accreditation.

CEVAS+ This course is designed for anyone who took the CEVAS qualification over 5 years ago and wishes to update their knowledge and skills in terms of educational visits to farms.

Objectives of the training: • Key ways to engage with schools and raise the standard of curriculum-linked farm visits • Fine tune your health and safety practice to ensure you are compliant with the Industry Code of Practice • Consider current controversial issues • Share new resources • Network with other farm educators and learn from their good practice To find out more contact cevas@leafuk.org or visit https://www.visitmyfarm.org/cevas-farmer-training

LEAF Regional Education Consultants Who are they?

LEAF Education has a team of part-time Regional Education Consultants throughout England and Wales. All our consultants have a background in education.

What can our consultants offer?

• Quality, balanced and curriculum-relevant teaching and planning materials • Opportunities to present at local events • Help to develop partnership projects with LEAF Education • Knowledge and experience to help you know more about education in the farming sector • Facilitating relationships with your local schools • Delivering training • Advice on running farm visits • Expertise in translating concepts and practices between the farm and the school The day rate for our consultants’ services is £275 or for half a day £165 If you would like to talk through any of the opportunities above, please contact your local consultant (details can be found here: https://leafuk.org/education/contact-us#LEAF-RECS) or LEAF head off ice on 02476 413 911 or email education@leafuk.org

LEAF Open Farm School Days What are they?

LEAF Open Farm School Days is a nationwide initiative which began alongside LEAF Open Farm Sunday but is now available throughout the year. The aim is to get more young people out onto farms experiencing the countryside, learning about farming, food production and managing the natural environment.

How do LEAF Open Farm School Days work?

Your LEAF Regional Education Consultant (REC) will work with you to arrange a school visit to your premises. We prefer these visits to take place on a farm which has CEVAS accredited personnel in place but you will be supported throughout the process. Your REC will be present on the day to provide educational input to balance your farming expertise.

A comprehensive handbook is available for all farmers and educators taking part.

Further information is available here: https://leafuk.org/education/farm-visits

Next steps Are you CEVAS accredited and want to host a LEAF Open Farm School Day on your farm?

Your local Regional Education Consultant will help you – just get in touch for an initial discussion.

Not CEVAS accredited? Discuss this with your REC to see what we can do. https://leafuk.org/education/contact-us#LEAF-RECS

How can you support LEAF Education?

How to get involved By becoming a LEAF Education member you join over 5,000 like-minded farmers, educators and businesses who support our work of inspiring and educating the next generation about farming, food and the countryside.

And, if you want to get involved yourself, members can access deeper support to walk you through the process of engaging directly with schools, on and off the farm.

Other ways • Can you offer us a free, or reduced-price venue for one of our meetings or conferences?

• How about providing content for one of our regular e-newsletters?

• Would you consider becoming an ambassador for LEAF Education, promoting our work and speaking about us at events? We will provide full training.

If you are interested to find out more, please contact LEAF Education on 02476 413 911 or email education@leafuk.org