LEAF Education – Farmer Suite of Offers Enabling farmers to be independent
Your Learning Journey Get in touch
Become a LEAF Education Member
Discuss your vision with your LEAF Education Specialist
Membership has a host of benefits, including discounted CEVAS course, free CPD & activity days, support from our team and more!
Go virtual?
Get your CEVAS Accreditation!
It’s great to do something virtual to get a feel for hosting your first farm visit.
Your local course could be a few months away from time of booking, so we recommend getting booked on early!
Sign up to Countryside Classroom You can add your farm to the interactive map of places to visit so that schools can find you. You can also access a range of educational activities and sign up to the newsletter.
Increase your Public Engagement Get involved in further Public Engagement activities, such as Open Farm Sunday!
Co-host a Farm Visit Time to get those students on your farm!
CPD opportunities LEAF Education farmer membership has a host of benefits, one of which being free farmer CPD and training, networking events and resource ideas and updates!
CEVAS plus Ensure you are familiar with any changes in the National Curriculum and health and safety with reference to on-farm education!
Keep in touch Being a member means ongoing networking opportunities with the LEAF Education Specialists and access to free resources and training.
1.
Get in touch and discuss your options If you’re completely new to educational visits and hosting the public on your farm, getting in touch with your local LEAF Education Specialist is the best place to start. Explain your vision, and your motivation for hosting farm visits, and your local REC will be able to offer you guidance and support you in your journey to becoming and educational visit host.
2.
Become a LEAF Education Member If you are a member, it is likely that your LEAF Education Specialist will want to come and visit you and your farm to get a feel and vision of what visits could be like, practical options for activities alongside working out the locality for school contacts. Membership also offers a host of benefits, such as discounted CEVAS courses and free CPD and activity events!
3.
Get your CEVAS accreditation The Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS) gives farmers the tools, knowledge and practical guidance needed to host safe and impactful farm visits. During the course you will learn 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 trainer you will create a useful portfolio which is then submitted for accreditation. CEVAS accreditation is an Open College Network level 2 award. Not only is it useful for personal development but is also recognised by a number of insurers, schools and local authorities as a mark of good practice. CEVAS-accredited farmers are also entitled to display the trained personnel logo in recognition of their learning and preparation for safe, high-quality visits and farm experiences. You can decide whether to book onto an online or in person CEVAS course. Your course could be a few months away from time of booking, so we recommend getting booked on early! On completion, you will have the skills and toolkit to deliver safe, memorable and fun educational visits
4. Go Virtual? Having had a chat with your local Education Specialist, and with a date in the diary for your CEVAS training, it’s time to dip your toe in the water! We recommend your first experience of hosting a farm visit to be a gentle introduction. A virtual visit or a visit into school can be a brilliant place to start. Your local Education Specialist can support you with delivery of a virtual offering (a live lesson from the farm – dialled into the classroom!), discussing your activity preferences and offering to schools. Remember, our team of Education Specialists are all qualified teachers and experienced educators!
5.
Sign up to Countryside Classroom Countryside Classroom is an online hub of resource and activity ideas relating to the themes of food, farming, and the natural environment for you to use. It’s time to put your farm on the map! Adding your farm to Countryside Classroom will allow teachers to find your farm and get in touch with you. You can even highlight you are CEVAS accredited!
6.
Co-host a Farm visit The next step is hosting a farm visit! This will be the first step towards building a relationship with local schools and a chance to bring your vision to life. Your LEAF Education Specialist can help you organise, plan and deliver the farm visit.
7.
CPD opportunities LEAF Education farmer membership has a host of benefits, one of which being free farmer CPD and training, networking events and resource ideas and updates. Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter for the most up to date information!
8. Get involved in wider Public Engagement work! Why not get involved in wider Public Engagement work, welcoming the general public onto your farm, as well as young people. For example, Open Farm Sunday (OFS) – the farming industries annual open day. The OFS team supply a host of free resources, information and support to help you in the run up to your event. It’s a great opportunity to help educate families and the local community, to find out what happens behind the farm gates and build positive relationships!
9.
CEVAS plus The CEVAS Education Plus course is designed to update those who have attended a CEVAS course at least two years ago and want to ensure they are familiar with any changes that have taken place, such as National Curriculum updates with reference to on-farm education, and Industry Code of Practice revisions. Successful candidates are awarded a level 3 Open College Network accreditation.
10. Keep in touch Once you’re set up, we would love to still keep in touch and continue to offer you support in your educational offering. Being a LEAF Education member means ongoing networking opportunities with the LEAF Education Specialists and access to free resources and training.
“Having thoroughly enjoyed hosting numerous virtual visits with business studies students one begins to appreciate how a modern, diversified farming business makes such an interesting case study” Will Brock, Manor Farm, Hampshire
“Having delivered educational visits over the last 15 years along with being in education for over 40 years; I total appreciate the support and diversity that Katy brings to our educational visits. When she is attendance she can offer additional skills, materials to the normal visit which is very much appreciated.” Edwina, Cobble Hey Farm, Lancashire
“The support LEAF Education Specialists provide to farmers setting out to provide educational access is amazing. Liz has coached us through planning activities, contacting schools and applying the psychology of education. On a personal level her positive, cheerful and encouraging personality is highly motivating to do things that are beyond the comfort zone of daily farming. The reward of seeing thirty children getting back on a coach buzzing after a half day visit is something else. Liz has helped us every step of the way and like all good coaches got us to a place where we now do things without thinking that once scared us!” David, Noverton Farm, Worcestershire