ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR CHILD?

Shutelake Farm School offers a farm-based, therapeutic approach designed to support primary & secondary learners who thrive outside of the traditional classroom environment.

AT SHUTELAKE, YOUNG PEOPLE CAN:

Learn through hands-on, practical experiences
Grow confidence and self-esteem in a small, supportive environment
Enjoy a calm learning pace tailored to their needs
Connect with nature, animals and their peers
Build real life skills through purposeful outdoor activities

Register your interest

WHO IS THE FARM SCHOOL FOR?

Everyone is welcome at The Farm School, but those may particularly benefit from our learning environment are young people aged between 5-16 who:

Are neurodivergent (no EHCP necessary)
Do not currently attend a mainstream education setting full-time
Thrive in hands-on learning environments
Would benefit from a calm, therapeutic environment

Get in touch or have a look through our FAQs below.

Have questions about the farm school?

Why choose Shutelake Farm School?

Here at Shutelake we are not your typical farm school. Though plenty of our learning focuses on farming, all of our programmes are underpinned by therapeutic approaches, designed to support learners from all walks of life.

Our team are all experienced professionals, bringing together their expertise to create an in-depth, blended learning environment for our young people. We truly understand the challenges our learners face and are passionate about providing every young person with opportunities to thrive.

We know that mainstream education settings do not work for everyone - so we hope that by attending Shutelake Farm School, our young people will gain practical, hands-on experience, while simultaneously learning about emotional regulation, executive functioning and anxiety management techniques.

Shutelake is a place for all.

Interested to know more about us? Have a look at our profiles below!

Jen

FARM LEAD

Jen has lived at Shutelake since she was 14 years old - and now lives here with her children and parents, who you may spot around the farm occasionally. Growing up around animals naturally led her into a career as a vet. Passionate about sharing her love of farming to all, Jen is our lead animal and all-things-farm expert! You’ll often find her in her wellies getting stuck into something exciting around the farm.
Emily

RTW FOUNDER & SAFEGUARDING LEAD

Emily is our coaching and ADHD expert. She’s worked with young people in and outside of education settings for over 8 years and has a real desire to change the way children encounter education and helping families to navigate neurodiversity. When not at The Farm, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her dog Dougie - you can often find her out walking or in the stands supporting Bristol Pitbulls Ice Hockey Team!
Kalee

RTW FOUNDER & WELLBEING LEAD

Kalee is our counsellor and leads the wellbeing team along with Emily. Beginning her career in children’s homes in Devon, Kalee then trained as a counsellor and is particularly interested in helping young people navigate their emotions and creating a blend of creative and nature therapies to engage children in learning. Outside of The Farm School, Kalee loves to spend time with her children, friends and walks with her dog, Rudy!
INDIE

FARM DOG

Indie is Jen’s trusted companion. As one of the only animals on the farm allowed into the house, you can usually find her tucked up by the AGA or wagging her tail at any visitors. You may see her wandering around the farm, keeping the sheep company during the day. Indie is very gentle and would never say no to cuddles!

FARM SCHOOL FAQs

No two days are the same at The Farm School, but you can expect to take part in activities such as lamb feeding, nature walks, bushcraft workshops and many more.
A session lasts for around 2 hours, and we run two sessions a day - one in the morning and one after lunch. You will attend one session per day for 6 weeks.
When you sign up to farm school, you will get more information about the 6 week programme you will attend, as the activities can vary depending on the season.
When you are at The Farm School, you will be accompanied by no more than 9 other learners, all of a similar age to yourself. The adults on site will be Jen, Kalee and Emily - occasionally there may be other helpers around depending on how busy the farm is that day! More information will be provided about this in your learner pack.
For more in depth information on onboarding processes please get in touch, but for a brief explanation see below:
We are passionate that all young people get a chance to experience an outdoor learning environment, however, our resources are limited. Due to our small group sizes and learner needs, we have a criteria that allows us to make sure the children we have with us are safe at all times. If we feel your child may benefit from an alternative learning environment, we may signpost you to other local providers.
None of the young people who attend The Farm School need an EHCP in place, nor a formal diagnosis. We understand the difficulties of accessing support without an EHCP, so are keen to keep The Farm School open to all.
Shutelake is a farm where people live and work, as such there are always risks around. We have worked hard to mitigate all risks where possible.
In line with Rekindling The Wild’s health and safety policy, risk assessments will be carried out before all activities take place. We also require parents/guardians to sign a waiver before their child attends our setting, stating that they understand the risks of being on a working farm environment.
Our small staff to learner ratio allows us to keep our learners safe while they are on site. All measures have been taken to ensure that the areas of the site we use is safe for children aged 5-16.
Additionally, RTW have a safeguarding policy in place. This can be found on our website or by contacting us directly for a copy.
As we all know, English weather is often unpredictable! We run each programme for 6 weeks, meaning that your child may attend during autumn, winter, spring or summer, so it is important that they are dressed appropriately.
This may mean having access to wellington boots, waterproof overalls or sun hats. We understand that these items can be expensive, so if you have any concerns over this please contact us.