Our Farm
Fortitude School Farm Curriculum Overview
Our skills-based farm curriculum has been designed to meet the needs of our pupils with SEND, such as ASD, ADHD, PDA and SEMH. Our FARM programme has been developed by adapting and modifying the EYFS, KS1 and KS2, focusing on nurturing, sensory-rich, hands-on activities.
Our farm is managed and overseen by Miss Molli, who, along with her team, ensures that all of our children get the best experiences out of accessing our farm provision.
Our pupils have personalised curriculums, which include a bespoke farm support programme.
Our small farm is a nurturing alternative provision with a specific focus on SEND.
Below is a list of the key objectives we will work on with our pupils;
- Emotional well-being & self-regulation
- Sensory and physical development
- Communication & interaction
- Curiosity, exploration, and discovery
- Responsibility, routine, and empathy
- Encouragement of independence and teamwork
- Cross-curriculum development and enjoyment
- Hands-on practical learning
- Sensory Farm Exploration
- Developing Skills Through Nature
Key Purpose: Provide a rich, multisensory, inclusive farm experience, tailored to nurture and develop the whole child across cognitive, physical, emotional, and social domains.
Emotional and Sensory Integration
Emotional and Sensory Integration refers to how our brains process and organise emotional and sensory information so we can respond appropriately to the world around us. It’s especially important in understanding behaviour, development, and mental health. At the farm, we work to support pupils’ emotional and sensory integration through the implementation of:
- Quiet Zones: Every activity has a low-stimulus version or opt-out zone
- Visual Schedules: PECS or symbol cards for transitions
- Sensory Bins & Tools: Ear defenders, fidget aids, weighted animals
- Reflection Time: End each session with calm-down time and feelings check-in
Inclusive Approaches for All Activities:
- Visual timetables and Now/Next boards
- Emotion check-ins with symbols or sensory thermometers
- Sensory breaks and zones
- Flexible grouping and choice-based participation
- Symbol-supported communication
Assessment
Assessing the progress of our learners when engaging at the farm is virtual. We use a range of assessment strategies to monitor and measure pupil progress, such as;
- Photographic evidence
- Pupil profiles with achievements
- Verbal or symbol-based check-ins
- Progress against EHCP targets
- Parent/caregiver feedback
- Learning journals with photos
- Observational tick sheets
- Child voice (verbal, symbol or pictorial feedback)
Curriculum Activities
Each activity is linked to developmental skills, cross-curricular learning, and nurturing engagement while maintaining a strong emphasis on emotional well-being, confidence building, and connection to nature.
Below is a list of sample curriculum activities our children will engage with and how these are linked to developmental skills, cross-curricular learning, and nurturing engagement.
Curriculum Activities
1. Build a Worm Farm
- Development Skills: Fine motor skills, science knowledge (soil, decomposition), responsibility through ongoing care
- Cross-curricular Links:
- Science: Minibeasts, habitats, soil health
- Maths: Measuring soil layers, counting worms
- PSHE: Responsibility and caring for living things
- Resources: Plastic bottles/containers, soil, sand, vegetable scraps, magnifying glasses, gloves
- Nurturing Focus: Sensory play with soil; calming repetitive movements; encourages routine and responsibility
2. Treasure Hunt – Metal Detectors
- Development Skills: Attention, exploration, gross motor, memory recall
- Cross-curricular Links:
- Geography: Using basic maps/symbols
- History: Relic discussion – “What could this object be?”
- Maths: Counting and recording finds
- Resources: Simple metal detectors, coins or buried metal objects, picture maps
- Nurturing Focus: Builds curiosity and discovery; encourages outdoor confidence and teamwork
3. Naming Animals and Taking Pictures
- Development Skills: Communication, ICT skills, vocabulary building, creativity
- Cross-curricular Links:
- English: Naming, describing using adjectives
- Computing: Using digital devices
- Art: Creating labels, picture collages
- Resources: iPads/cameras, animal name cards, print-out templates
- Nurturing Focus: Builds confidence through naming, sharing work, and connecting with animals
4. Tug of War
- Development Skills: Teamwork, strength, coordination, turn-taking
- Cross-curricular Links:
- PE: Physical strength, competitive play
- PSHE: Social cooperation, resilience
- Resources: Tug of war rope, cones, soft matting
- Nurturing Focus: Emphasises inclusion, safe group challenge, controlled sensory pressure (heavy work)
5. Egg and Spoon Race
- Development Skills: Balance, concentration, and gross motor skills
- Cross-curricular Links:
- PE: Agility, balance, coordination
- Maths: Timed races, counting laps
- Resources: Spoons, plastic eggs, obstacle cones
- Nurturing Focus: Light competition, celebrates individual effort, and develops perseverance
6. Nature Walks / Animal Walks
- Development Skills: Observation, sensory awareness, mindfulness
- Cross-curricular Links:
- Science: Seasons, habitats, plants
- Geography: Local area exploration
- English: Recounting walks (orally or pictorially)
- Resources: Checklists, binoculars, sensory cards, walking ropes
- Nurturing Focus: Supports regulation through rhythm and movement in nature
7. Animal Grooming / Petting
- Development Skills: Empathy, self-regulation, confidence, motor control
- Cross-curricular Links:
- PSHE: Relationships with animals, empathy
- Science: Animal care, body parts
- Resources: Brushes, wipes, pet-safe shampoo, towels, visual cue cards
- Nurturing Focus: Calming, builds connection and responsibility, tactile comfort
8. Obstacle Course
- Development Skills: Problem-solving, sequencing, motor planning
- Cross-curricular Links:
- PE: Gross motor skills, fitness
- Maths: Directions, sequencing
- Resources: Cones, hoops, tyres, balance beams
- Nurturing Focus: Boosts confidence, adaptable for all abilities, encourages risk-taking in a safe way
9. Bug Hunt
- Development Skills: Curiosity, observation, patience, classification
- Cross-curricular Links:
- Science: Minibeast identification, classification
- Art: Sketching bugs
- Resources: Bug pots, magnifiers, ID cards, clipboards
- Nurturing Focus: Encourages quiet focus, supports sensory seekers, builds nature connection
10. Build a Bug Hotel
- Development Skills: Construction, planning, problem-solving, teamwork
- Cross-curricular Links:
- DT: Planning and building
- Science: Microhabitats
- Maths: Shape, measuring
- Resources: Pallets, bamboo, straw, leaves, bricks, string
Nurturing Focus: Long-term project pride, calm repetitive motions, inclusion of every ability in different tasks
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