History

In 1986 Reddish Vale School acquired funding under the Technical Vocational Education Initiative (T.V.E.I.) to build a school farm. Since 1986 the farm has expanded to include a large variety of poultry and a horticultural section. The farm is used by all pupils throughout the school as well as those following the Northern Examining Assessment Board's GCSE Science (Agriculture and Horticulture).

Over the last six years the farm has developed and has been featured a number of times in the local press and in the Rare Breeds Society Books. Each Year, between thirty and forty primary schools visit and spend a morning with us. They make use of the farm facility and laboratory. We have developed a primary work book for use on the farm which covers some of Attainment Target 2 in the Science National Curriculum.

As well as use by primary schools, we also have visits from Special Schools, for example Castle hill, The Heaton’s, Thornfeild, and able-bodied children from Bethesda and Cromwell schools. Presently, some of these pupils spend up to one day per week with us on a regular basis.

A natural progression and development for Reddish Vale would have to open our facilities to disabled children. Staff from schools that have disabled pupils have given us their support and have examined our farm environment. All alterations proposed are those recommended to us by them.

The farm is unique in school resources. Very few schools can boast such an unusual site. The farm is used day-to-day by pupils at the school as a learning centre. It is used by local groups, community groups and by primary schools.