A course will be held at Penpont, near Brecon, in April for farmers and countryside staff to learn more about hosting visits by schools, colleges and youth groups. The courses are being organized by FACE Cymru in association with the YMCA Wales Community College.
The Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme, or CEVAS, is taught over two days and allows learners to think through all the aspects of having a school visit, including health and safety, the learning opportunities a farm or countryside site can offer, and talking to young people and teachers.
During the course, participants compile a portfolio which is accredited by the Open College Network and will also be useful to them in their future work. All the teaching materials are bilingual and learners may complete their portfolios in English or Welsh. Tutor support is available outside the course hours.
“A CEVAS course is the ideal preparation for working with young people in the countryside, and it’s fun. Last year we trained over 40 people, including farmers, staff from community gardens, countryside wardens and smallholders,” said Jane Powell, FACE Cymru education coordinator.
The tutor will be Jill Simpson, who has many years’ experience of linking schools and farms in Pembrokeshire and across south Wales. Jill says, “Every time I take a group of children on a farm visit, they are so enthusiastic and so full of wonder at the natural environment, it makes me immensely grateful that there are farmers and other country site operators who are prepared to host visits. And as an ex teacher I know how beneficial those visits are, not just for the children, but also for the farmer, the industry and the countryside in general.”
The course will be held at the Penpont Estate near Brecon on 16 and 30 April, from 9.30 to 4.00 pm. It costs £95 + VAT, but farmers who register with Farming Connect may be able to reclaim 80% of the fee, and learners on a low income can also apply for a bursary.
Penpont is one of the finest houses situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The walled gardens were first established in 1794 and today a wide range of organic vegetables are grown there. Penpont has hosted a number of educational visits in the past and this year sees the opening of the recently converted Stables as a multi-functional venue. Davina Hogg says, “we are delighted to be hosting this course because it gives me the opportunity to use the Stables as well as refresh our ideas and proposals for school visits.”
The school curriculum in Wales now has a strong emphasis on sustainability, including the natural environment, health and consumer choices, and encourages children to learn from the real world outside the classroom. All of this, together with the need for education on healthy eating and food, is leading to more demand for visits to farms and the countryside.
To book a place or for more information, contact Jane Powell on 01970 622248 or e-mail [email protected].
