Host Farm Visits

This is a great place to begin. If you are new to hosting visits from schoolchildren, you will have lots of questions. Don’t be daunted! You will find here an easy to follow step by step approach covering everything from health and safety to activity ideas.

By now you'll have started to build your experience and might want to start exploring working with children and young people face to face. LEAF Education membership is the best way to get the support you'll need to take this next step.

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.

Before hosting students on your farm, we recommend you make links with local schools and offer to go in there first to build the relationship before they come to visit you on the farm. Offering an assembly or class "talk" (with lots of visual aids) can be appealing in primary schools. Do talk to the teacher to see how you might link in with topics they are already planning. Secondary schools are harder to engage but worth the effort. Try the science department or the geographers or even something like art - be creative!

As always, as a LEAF Education member you can access our local LEAF Education Specialists and other support to help you connect with schools nearby.

Now that you've started working with children in schools, your next step is to learn how to host high-quality, safe farm visits.

Our training prepares you to do just that. 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.

After completing CEVAS training you'll be ready to start conducting visits on your own farm. But our support for LEAF Education members doesn't stop there. Our local LEAF Education Specialists can continue to support you and help you develop what you're able to offer.

Below you can find some case studies to give you an idea of visits LEAF Education has helped to support:

Whetstone Pastures Farm & Higham Lane Academy - LEAF Open Farm School Days

Imberhorne School and Shepham Wind Farm - LEAF Open Farm School Days

Ramsbury Farm and Furze Platt Secondary School - LEAF Open Farm School Days

Although our LEAF Education Specialists can help connect you with local schools we also work in partnership to provide Countryside Classroom, a resource website aimed at teachers. As an established, certified provider of high-quality educational experiences, you can register your farm on Countryside Classroom and reach a wider audience.

Even if you've been running farm visits for some time there's always more to learn.

CEVAS Plus is designed for anyone who took the CEVAS qualification over 2 years ago and wishes to update their knowledge and skills in terms of educational visits to farms. You'll be supported to update your practice to stay compliant, learn new ways to engage with schools and network with other farm educators.